The Key
by JediSeeker1
Summary: In the great Jedi purge Obi-wan Kanobi locked away important information deep in the Jedi temple with a special key. Not really knowing what importance this key was, Luke Skywalker took this key in as his daughter. To protect her from all who hunted her..
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Key  
**Author(s):** JediSeeker1  
**Timeframe:** NJO/ AU  
**Characters:** OC: Sara Skywalker, Jacen Solo, OC: Obi-wan Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and others  
**Genre:** Action/Drama  
**Keywords:** OC, AU, NJO  
**Summary:** In the great Jedi purge Obi-wan Kanobi locked away important information deep in the Jedi temple with a special key. Not really knowing what importance this key was, Luke Skywalker took this key in as his daughter. To protect her from all who hunted her, Luke hid his daughter away only to find that she has disappeared.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Wars it belongs to Lucasfilm. This is my way to be apart if that world. I did not write the songs that are intertwined in my story, because I am musically challenged. I felt that there are other people that are more talented in that area then I.

**Prologue:**

_**A long time ago, the clone wars corrupted the republic. The Jedi were forced into hiding. Before he fled the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan Kenobi unloaded all the information into a electronic Holo-Recorder. The recorder held the history of the republic. Everything one would want to know. The fall of the republic, a love story gone horribly wrong, but most important the key to putting an end to the Sith: how to create a Thought Bomb. This information if in the wrong hands would be the end for the Jedi, the end for the republic and the end to peace in the galaxy. He was bringing the information down to the depths of the Jedi temple, down so far that only the elite of masters knew about it. **_

_**On his way down, Obi-Wan found a five year old youngling hiding behind a big potted plant. She had escaped the fate of the rest of the younglings. He picked her up and brought her with him. **_

_**After many secrete passages and locked doors, they stud into this big room. Status of Jedi masters long past filled the room. When even the strongest of masters need guidance, they would come here to get it. One particular statue was special to Obi-Wan. It was the statue of his old Master Qui-Gon Jin. Underneath the statue was a door, with a hand print on it. Obi-Wan put his hand on it and a bright blue light filled the dark room with light. The light faded and the door opened. **_

_**Inside the door was Qui-Gon's lightsaber. It was the only thing in the statue. He grabbed the lightsaber and gave it to the girl. "Here this is yours now; you will need it to protect you."**_

_**"But master Obi-Wan, I don't know how to use one yet." the girls voice sounded scared.**_

_**"It's alright; I will show you how to use it." Obi-Wan said as he put the data he carried into the statue. He closed the door. To lock the data up he took the younglings hand and placed it on the door. A rainbow of Red, Purple, Blue and Green light filled the room. They walked out of the big room. When the door closed behind them, Obi-Wan stopped and turned. "Here put your hand here." The girl followed the order. Again the door locked the same way the door to the statue did. "I'm sorry to do this to you," he whispered to her. "You and the younglings you will have are now the key to the past."**_

_**"Master Obi-Wan I don't understand?"**_

_**"It's alright; you don't have to right now." He answered her, and they raced out of the temple. **_

_**Obi-Wan sent the girl to live on the planet of Naboo, The Empire would not find her there. **_

_**Years Past, Obi-Wan was living on Tatooine. He was keeping and eye on the son of Darth Vader. **_

_**One day an elderly lady came to see him unannounced. In her arms was a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket. **_

_**"Are you Master Kenobi?" She asked him.**_

_**"Who wants to know?"**_

_**"I do," She stated. "The baby's mother ordered me to bring the baby to a Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Are you Him?" she asked again.**_

_**"Yes. Where is the mother?" Obi-Wan didn't sense any danger.**_

_**"She was buried on Naboo a few days ago. Before she died she left orders to bring the baby to you." she handed the baby to him, and left with out another word. **_

_**Obi-Wan went back into the hut he lived in. inside of the blanket was a small note. **_

_**Master Kenobi,**_

**_Please take care of my little princess. She is now the key._**

**Chapter one:**

Sara peeked threw the curtain, she didn't see him. For the first time in three months, the stranger that had caught her eye would miss her sing tonight. Tonight was the night she was going to sing the song she wrote for him.

She stepped on to the small stage at the bar that she waitresses at. The boy wasn't at his usual spot. She looked around everywhere for him, but couldn't find him.

Sara sat on the stool on the end of the stage, in front of the microphone. She cleared her throat. "This song I wrote for someone who comes here every Thursday. I've always been to shy to introduce myself to him so I wrote this song." She grabbed her guitar sitting next to the stool. She started picking at the strings on the guitar.

At the entrance to the bar on Tatooine, Jacen Solo was running late. He sees the girl that had caught his eye three months ago, when his father had taken him there for a sabacc game. She was just sitting on the stool picking at her guitar. She took a deep breath in and looked up. Just as she started singing she saw him standing at the door. She smiled a big smile so brightly it took Jacen's breath away. After a few words in the song, he new that the song for him.

_There you are again  
I see you all the time  
We haven't really met yet,  
But you know, I don't mind  
'Cuz I think today's the day  
I'm gonna go right up and say to you  
Would it be alright  
If I called you up sometime?_

_There you go again  
I let you get away  
At least I've got more time  
To think of what I might say (like)  
"Couldn't we be good" (or maybe)  
"Don't you think that we should find  
Some quiet little place where we'd make love all day?"_

_Come and talk to me  
What are you waiting for  
'Cuz I can see you passing every day and I'm always wanting more  
Come and talk to me  
What are you gonna do  
'Cuz I can't seem to get the nerve to get off my own ass  
And come and talk to you_

_You know I love the type  
You look like you've been up all night  
And yet somehow still look beautiful  
You do it all at the same time  
Whenever you walk by  
You always look me in the eyes  
And in that moment I know  
the same thing's on your mind_

_It always seems to be that I let the good things pass by  
because I let my fear stop me (but not this time)_

Later that night, Jacen sat waiting. The bartender was kicking the last of its drunks out, as he cleaned up the bar he walked up to Jacen "Are you the boy from the song?"

"Yes." Jacen replied almost fearing he was going to stay she wasn't coming out.

"Sara will be out in a minute, she is just packing up her things."

'Sara' Jacen repeated her name in his head. 'Sara, what a gorgeous name. It fits her perfectly.' Jacen daydreamed while he waited.

"Bye Sam," her voice came from behind Jacen. Jacen turned to look at her, he was in awe. "I was wondering if you were going to stay." Sara smiled at him.

Jacen couldn't move all he could do was just stared at her. She was so pretty with her brown hair and green eyes.

"I'm Sara, Sara Walker." She held out her hand to shake his, with a smirk on her face.

It took a minute, but Jacen had to shake his head a little to come back to reality. "I'm… I'm Jacen." He finally spit out.

"Jacen," she repeated slowly. "It fits you well." There was a moment of silence. All they could do was stair at each other. Then Sara broke the silence.

"Look… do you want to come over to my place and talk. I would love to go out but then I have to pay the babysitter over time."

"Yea, sure" Jacen snapped back to reality again. He offered to carry her bag as they walked out of the bar.

Sara and Jacen strolled into Sara's home. "I'll be right back" Sara walked in to the other room leaving Jacen alone in the kitchen. Jacen looked around the kitchen. He noticed lots of pictures on the fridge. To pass the time he stared at each one of them.

Sara walked into her three year old son's bed room. He was fast asleep. She bent over to kiss him on the forehead.

Obi-Wan's eyes opened "Hi Mommy." He whispered.

"Hi sweet heart. You're supposed to be sleeping." Sara smiled at him.

"Did you sing your song tonight?"

"Yes I did, and it worked." Her son smiled at her "Now you go back to sleep."

"Ok" Obi-Wan turned and fell back asleep.

Sara walked back in to the kitchen where Jacen was looking at the pictures on the fridge.

"Is this your son?" he asked when she walked in to the room.

"Yea. His name is Obi-Wan. He's three."

"He looks like someone I know. He kind of looks like you." Jacen smiled at Sara. "Who's-

"Where-"Jacen and Sara said at the same time. Sara knew what he was going to ask. And she didn't want to answer that question.

"Sorry … go ahead, what were you going to say?" Jacen insisted.

"Where are you from?"

"Well I live on Coruscant," Jacen took a seat on the stool at the kitchen counter. Sara grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet. She filled the gasses with water. She sat next to Jacen and placed the glasses in from of them, "but I have lived many different places growing up." He continued.

"You're a Jedi aren't you?" Sara asked out of the blue.

"Yea. How did you know?" Jacen was surprised. He had not expected her to ask so sudden. He could feel her in the force, almost as strong as his twin sister. It was what made him notice her in the beginning.

"I just do." She looked at her glass. Jacen could see that something was wrong.

"Do you have something against Jedi?" He asked suspiciously.

"No." She said defensively. "No- no I don't." Sara got up and walked over to the sink and dumped out her water.

"You can feel the Force, can't you?" Jacen asked her. Sara nodded her head yes. "So can your son."

Sara whipped around and looked Jacen right in the eye. "You leave my son alone." She said firmly.

"Look, I didn't come here to take your son away. I came here to get to know you." Jacen explained himself.

Relived, "I'm sorry; I just don't want anything to happen to him." She explained.

"I know. Look as long as I'm around, I'm not going to let anything happen to your son or you for that matter."

Sara looked a Jacen and smiled. "Thanks."

After a few minutes of silence, Jacen just had to break it. "So what is your story? How did you end up here?"

"My Story?" she rolled her eyes, "It's long and complicated."

"Well do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No, but Obi-Wan has summer camp in the morning."

"Well we can stay up all night talking until you have to bring Obi-Wan to camp, then we can get some rest." Jacen Smiled at her.

"Where do I start?"

"How about from the beginning."

Sara Chuckled to her self. "Ok, that doesn't help much but…Well my Mom had me when she was really old. She never made it threw child birth. I was sent to live with my uncle Obi-Wan here in this house.

"One day my uncle was call upon for help. We went to help and my uncle was killed by my grand father. But I didn't know that he was my grandfather at the time. A young man that we were with took me in as his daughter. He became my dad. Someone was looking for me, someone bad, I don't know why. My father sent me to live here with my best friend. Someone my dad trusted. …" Sara became very quiet for a little bit. Then continued. "I only saw my father maybe three times.

"I fell in love with him… my friend who I was staying with. But after living with each other for a year, we just got into fight after fight. He would hit me, hard sometimes, I couldn't take it any more, I had to get out. So a friend helped me get away, he was sort of my hero, but his family didn't want me with him and on top of that I found out I was pregnant, so I ran and hid here."

"I never saw him, my father or my hero again," a tear ran down Sara's cheek, "I got my job at the bar, had my son, and here we are." Sara finished her story with, "it's hard sometimes, I look at my son and I'm reminded of my past," Sara came back to the present. "What about you?"

"Well, my mom is a senator, and my Dad is an ex-smuggler, kind of a weird combo, but they love each other."

Sara laughed as Jacen joked around with his story.

"I have a twin sister Jaina, and then there is my little brother Anakin, we went to my uncle's Jedi academy, we were kidnapped a couple of times and rescued, a few years later I became an apprentice to my Uncle. My dad took me out to this bar and I fell in love with this waitress we had."

Sara started blushing and the young man smiled, "I think it was love at first sight. So I kept coming back…" Jacen stop for a second, "well I tried to make it entertaining."

Sara giggled "I liked it."

Jacen stud up from the stool he was sitting in, he took a step closer to Sara, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she just looked up at him standing in front of her as he finally lent down and kissed her.

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Obi-Wan ran to open it.

"Hi! I'm Jacen." Jacen bent down to greet the three year old. "You must be Obi-Wan."

The boy just stared at Jacen.

"Where is your mom?" he asked.

"Obi-Wan, who is at the door?" Sara called from the other room.

"It's me. Jacen."

Sara came to the door, a big smile appeared on her face as she saw him and she pulled Solo into a hug, Jacen was filled with joy just having her in his arms.

"What brings you by? I wasn't expecting you until next week," Sara said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Well I couldn't wait to see you," Sara blushed and Jacen added, "that and I can't make it next week. I have to help my family. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Family is important."

"I was wondering if I could spend the day with you today?"

"Well, I had planned to spend the day with my son, so you are going to have to ask him."

Jacen knelt down to Obi-Wan. "So what do you say buddy? Can I spend the day with you and your mom?"

Obi-Wan was hiding behind his mom's legs, he nodded a yes.

"So what are we going to do today?" Jacen asked the shy boy.

Obi-Wan shrugged his little shoulders, he didn't know.

"We usually go run errands around town, or find a game to play here or read a book." Sara answered for him, "but today I think we can alter our plans."

"I have an idea," Jacen tried to sound excited to get capture Obi-Wan's attention, "how about we go for a ride in my ship?"

Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide, "Yeah!" he turned to his mom, "please Mommy can we go?"

"I don't know baby."

"I won't take you guys far, we won't even leave the system." Jacen tried to help Obi-Wan convince his mom.

"We are not supposed to be leaving the planet."

"Mommy, we will be back before Papa comes for us." Obi-Wan knew his mother's fear of leaving.

Sara feared that she would leave and her father would come for her, she didn't want to miss him. However, deep down the young woman knew he was not coming, she had already missed him long ago.

"I know, sweet heart," she paused. "Ok we can go." She gave in.

"Thanks mommy!" and Obi-Wan was already running off to get ready.

Sara looked over at Jacen, he had a happy grin on his face as he slowly leaned down and kissed her.

"Come on lets go!" Obi-Wan rushed back into the room, he grabbed Jacen's hand no longer shy of the man and pulled him away from his Mom.

"Ok Buddy, we're coming."

When they finally arrived at the space port, it felt like Obi-Wan had excitedly pulled Jacen the whole way.

"Obi-Wan!" Sara lightly scolded, "stop pulling, we are not in a hurry."

"It's ok," Jacen picked Obi-Wan up and put him on his shoulders, "you see that ship way in the back? That's mine; It's called an X-wing.

"An X-wing?" Sara asked, "is there going to be enough room for all of us?"

"Of course, this one has been modified for two people." He smiled at her.

Jacen was showing Obi-Wan around his X-wing, Sara lost herself in watching them. He was so good with Obi-Wan, it made her like the Jedi even more.

"Come on Mommy, let's go." Sara's son called to her, she smiled in response and walked over to them.

They spent the whole day flying around Tatooine, Obi-Wan sat on Jacen's lap and the Jedi knight showed him all the flight controls.

It was late when they returned home, Sara was carrying Obi-wan, who had fallen asleep on the ride home into the house. She put him to bed and when she came back out of his room, Jacen was there waiting for her.

She hurried over to him and her arms around his neck, kissing him as if she was never going to see him again. He kissed her back just as passionately as he held her close to him.

Sara pulled back a bit and looked him in the eyes, "spend the night with me?"

Jacen paused a second and took in a deep breath, "we shouldn't."

"Please?"

"Alright, I'll spend the night here, but we shouldn't," there was a moment of silence.

Sara nodded her head yes, "Come on, lets go watch some Holo-net."

They walked in to the living room and sat down on the couch together. She rested her head on his chest and he locked his arms around her. She could feel the muscles in his arms, it made her feel safe, like no harm could come to her, after a while she fell asleep in his embrace.

Jacen picked her up and carried her to her bed, he gently laid her down and tucked her in, kissing her on the forehead as he turned to leave. Before he got far Sara stopped him.

"Please don't leave me, I don't want to be alone tonight."

There was more silence and then he spoke, "Ok."

Jacen crawled in the bed and curled up next to Sara, wrapped his arms around her and they both fell asleep together.

Sara was able to come home early from work. She was eager to spend time with her son Obi-Wan. When she arrived at home she found her home had been ransacked.

Books on the floor, chairs broken the table tipped upside down, there were markings on the wall that looked like blaster shots. She ran over to hiding place under the coffee table in the living room, the coffee table had been flipped over, and the door had been ripped off.

There was no sign of Obi-Wan anywhere.

Horrified she knelt down and started crying, she didn't know what to do.

Then suddenly Sara noticed the type of marks on the wall and she knew who took her son. The Empire.

How did they find her? How did they know about her son? Sara wished Jacen was there. She felt so alone, she had no one to turn to, she didn't even know where to find her father.

But Sara remembered what Jacen said before he left:

i"If you need anything at all you can find me here." Jacen handed her a card with an address on it./I

iThat's what I'm going to have to do/i she thought to herself, putting aside the thought of her father coming for her and prepared to leave Tatooine.


	2. Chapter 2

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2

A small sleek ship hung in the blackness of space just above Korriban in the Horuset system. Inside the ship two hooded figures sat in the cockpit watching a small blue Holo-message. An Imperial soldier appearing in the Holo-message spoke: "We have the child."

"Good," one of the hooded figures sitting in the captain seat said to the soldier, "we are on our way." He turned off the Holo and pulled off the black hood of his cloak that hid his face in shadow, reviling small horns emerging from his scull that only a Zebrack would have.

"Are you sure this child is the key Master?" The second of the hooded figures, a thin, pale human with long dark hair, questioned his master.

"The Key is passed down from parent to child, of course he is the key" he scolded coldly, "now," the tone in his voice was now calmer, "we have to hurry before the Yuuzhan Vong get too far in their invasion where even we can't stop them."

"Can't we let Yuuzhan Vong take care of the Jedi for us?"

"Only if we have the information that has been locked away with the key and if the Yuuzhan Vong gets to Coruscant before we do, they will destroy the information with out even knowing its worth." He lectured his apprentice. "You see time is running out. Now punch in the coordinates and let's be off," he ordered.

The human apprentice did as he was told and in a blink of an eye the ship disappeared into hyperspace.

* * *

Sara arrived on Coruscant late the next day. The city planet was very different from the desert plains on Tatooine there were high-rise buildings all over the place, the young woman had forgotten the unique beauty of all the buildings and traffic as it had been from above Coruscant. How in the galaxy was she going to find Jacen in this vast place?

A cab brought her to a big gray building, iWell I guess this narrows it down a bit/i she thought as she walked inside the building and into the enormous lobby, spotting a desk with a protocol droid sitting behind it. Relived, she walked up to the desk and asked: "I'm looking for Solo, Ja-"

"Room 81215," the droid answered before she could get her question out.

"Thanks…um—"

"Elevator is on the right down the hall," the droid pointed behind Sara.

About fifteen minutes later Sara found the room she was looking for. The name on the door read 'Coronal Solo.' Sara knocked on the door.

"Come in." A female voice echoed through the door.

The door slid open and Sara entered into a spacious, plain room that had a large window that looked out upon a river. But something was wrong with the window, the view through it shouldn't be a river, it should have been showing the cityscape. Just then the window changed into a bright blue sky with white puffy clouds hovering around the towering buildings, it was a hologram-view window.

She noticed the young woman, who had let her inside the apartment, was standing in front of a hologram unit in the middle of the room, she was dressed in a pilot's suit, the brown haired woman finally looked up from the holograms of X-wing fighters she had been studying, "can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Jacen Solo, I was told I could find him here."

"You're Sara, aren't you?"

"How do you know who I am?" Sara was even more confused then ever.

"My name is Jaina," the pretty brown haired woman explained. "Jacen is my twin brother, Jacen is trying to find my family. My Uncle and Aunt were captured about six months ago," she switched off the hologram, "my parents went to look for them about four months ago, but have been seized as well. My brothers went to go look for them just a few days ago, but have had no luck in finding them." Jaina sounded very business like.

Sara's heart, and her hope, were shattering, i Will I ever see my son again?/i she thought, tears starting to weal in her eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Jaina asked her.

Sara shook her head and the tears started flowing. "No," she whispered. "I need Jacen's help." The young mother looked pleadingly at Jaina . "I have no one else to turn to, the Empire has my son."

The eldest of the Solo children looked thoughtful for a minute, "I think I can help you" She paused and studied Sara with her brown eyes thoughtfully, "if you can help me get my family back, I promise I will help you find your son."

"What if we don't succeed? What will happen to Obi-Wan?"

"Actually it will be one and the same, it's a safe bet the Empire has my family, as well as your son" Jaina explained to her.

"You think Jacen is with Obi-Wan?" Sara's eyes brightened with hope.

* * *

In a small cell, three people sat quietly, the man and a woman sat on the bench in the cell, the middle-aged man had his arm around the women who had bright red hair, and the other person in the cell was a little boy of three, who sat on the floor holding his knees against his chest. After watching the boy for awhile, the man took his arm from around the women and moved to the edge of the bench, he lent down to the boy.

"What's your name?"

The little boy lifted his head from his knees, "I'm Obi-Wan," he whispered back.

"I'm Luke, this is my wife Mara," the man motioned to himself and to his wife, "What is your last name, Obi-Wan?"

"Walker," The boy whispered again.

"Obi-Wan Walker, it's nice to meet you," Luke smiled but the little boy didn't reply, so he though he should ask a few more questions, "where is your father or mother?" Obi-Wan shrugged, Luke glanced over at Mara, before trying again gently, "you don't know...where are you from Obi-Wan?"

"Tatooine."

"Really now? I grew up on Tatooine, I lived on a moisture farm with my Aunt and Uncle. Where do you live?"

"A cottage in the Desert Mountains." The child answered brightly looking up at Luke with sad eyes.

Mara lent around her husband and smiled, "how old are you, Obi-Wan?"

"I'm three."

Luke moved off the bench to sit next to Obi-Wan, "are you a little scared?" He questioned kindly.

Obi-Wan didn't answer right away, but lowered his head, "yes," he finally whispered, Mara knelt down next to her husband as Luke put his arm around the boy to try to comfort him, Obi-Wan in return lent his head against Luke's shoulder.

* * *

When Sara and Jaina arrived at the station where their family was being held, Jaina had the idea of ambushing a couple stormtroopers and disguising themselves in their armour. After hiding the bodies in a storage closet they ran in to the detention area, the holding cell area was a star shaped building. The centre was the front desk and the points branched out to where the individual rooms were.

Jaina took care of the guards in the room, she walked around the desk and looked at the computer, she picked out the name Solo right away.

"Aisle five, room number 612," she called out to Sara.

Sara ran down aisle five, room 612 was about half way down the hallway, she pressed the panel key and rushed into the room and spotted Jacen sitting with Anakin on the far bench. Sara threw off the helmet she was wearing and ran into Jacen's waiting arms, "they have Obi-Wan, Jacen, I don't know how they found us…I just don't know…" Sara took in panicky breaths as tears streamed down her face.

Jacen pulled her away, holding her by the shoulders firmly as he looked down at her, "Who? Who took-"

"I found him!" Jaina yelled from another hallway, interrupting Jacen.

"Obi-Wan!" Sara turned from Jacen and ran down the hall towards the front desk where she and Jaina had entered, she could hear the small voice of her son coming down from another hallway.

"Mommy!"

Sara found the hallway that held her son, Obi-Wan emerge from a cell and she rushed up to him as he ran towards her, Sara fell to her knees so she could be at Obi-Wan's height as her son jumped in to her arms. All Sara could do was hold him tightly, as she kissed him on the head and pulled him back to stare at him. "Are you alright?" She brushed his hair from his eyes, Obi-Wan nodded his head and she wrapped her arms around her son again.

Sara didn't notice the people gathering around her as Jacen and Anakin followed her, Luke and Mara emerged from the cell after Obi-wan and Jaina came out of another cell from down the hall with her parents. Noticing that Luke was staring at Sara with a look of disbelief on his face, Jacen came up and stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, Sara lifted her eyes and found herself staring at a face she had not seen in a long time, she stood up, lifting Obi-Wan with her, never taking her eyes off the person in front of her, passing Obi-Wan to Jacen, she walked slowly up to the man that had been staring at her. "Daddy?" She whispered.

"Sara, I"- Luke hardly know what to say, before he could continue, Sara wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him tightly, Skywalker put his arms around her and just held her.

Nearly a minute passed before Jacen's father Han Solo spoke up.

"Hey if we don't get moving, we all are going to be a pile of space dust." He took the blaster Jaina handed him and headed for the exit.

The group of nine ran down the hallway towards the docking bay, eventually they ran into a T in the road.

"Okay," Jaina spoke up as she looked down each way, "the _Falcon_ is this way and the _Jade Shadow_ is that way, I think we should split up. Mom, Dad and Anakin I think we should head for the _Falcon_, Uncle Luke, Jacen and Sara can go with Aunt Mara to the _Jade Shadow_."

"What about the tractor beam?" Anakin asked.

"I'll take care of it, I'll get out on the X-wing," Sara spoke up.

Luke broke in protectively, "What?! No, I'm not losing you again."

"I'll be fine Daddy." Sara defended her self.

"I'm going with you," Jacen intervened.

"Ok," Sara nodded. She set Obi-Wan on the floor. "Obi-Wan I need you to do me a favour. I need you to go with your Grandpa."

"Mommy no!" The little boy protested.

"Please Obi-Wan, he'll take good care of you. You remember the stories I told you, don't you?"

Her son nodded his head, "but I want to be with you." He whimpered.

"I know you do but right now it won't be safe for you, I promise we will be together soon, okay?" Sara gave her son one last tight hug, and then gave him to her father. Together Obi-Wan and Luke, Mara and the Solo family watched Sara and Jacen disappear down the hallway.

* * *

Sara and Jacen stealthily made there way down the hallway to the main reactor with no trouble at all. Upon entering the room Sara stopped dead in her tracks when she realized that they had to walk on a walkway that stretched out over an endless fall.

"What's wrong?" Jacen tried to stop himself from running into her.

"High, this is very high." She froze in her uneasiness from the height.

"Sara we don't have time for this. We have to hurry." Jacen took her hand. She had to remind herself that it was for her son, so he would be safe. With this in her mind her fear melted away. She took a deep breath and followed Jacen's lead to the center of the room where the control computer lived for the main reactor.

They came up to the computer that controlled the main reactor and Jacen stared to scroll through the different screens to find the command to turn the tractor beam off. Sara on the other hand, took off the panel that concealed all the wires for the computer, and started playing with the different colored wires. After a few pages of scrolling, Jacen had to bring up the topic of Luke Skywalker. "So that's your dad? Why didn't you tell me who he was?" Jacen sounded a little hurt as he started typing commands into the computer.

"It's not something I like to advertise and I was supposed to be in hiding." Sara answered as she sliced a set of blue and green wires and started to twist the ends to the blues wires to the green ones.

"What about us? He is my Uncle."

"It's not like I have his blood in me." She was kind of short with him because he was distracting her from concentrating while she sliced a yellow wire and attached it to one of the blue and green wires. "He took me in when I had no one."

A screen popped up on Jacen's screen. "Blast! They found out..." the Jedi trailed off as he read that the tractor beam had been disabled. "How did you do that?" He asked know that it wasn't him that disabled it.

Sara gave him a triumphant smile. "Let's just say I was a bit of a handful when I was younger." She grabbed his hand so they could hurry and get out of there before anyone figured out what they had done. "Come on les get out of-"

Blaster shots interrupted her hitting the pole right next to her head, scaring the daylights out of her. They both hit the floor fast, Jacen doing his best to cover Sara, shielding her from any other blaster shots being fired at them from the two Stormtroopers on the other end of the walkway. Shots filled the air like fire works both Jacen and Sara trying desperately to get some in themselves.

"Why were you not at the Jedi Academy?" Jacen asked her over the ear ringing blaster shots.

"I was, just not very long." She shouted. "I had some trouble with some of the other students, so Dad had Obi-wan's father give me some personal training." Sara got off a blaster shot missing the Stormtrooper with in an inch of his helmet.

"Who is he, Obi-Wan's father?" Jacen asked boldly firing a few shots himself adding more to the chaos.

"Why do you want to know?" Sara was starting to get annoyed with all the questions he was asking her during this time. She wondered why he couldn't wait for a more convenient time. "Do we really have to have this conversation right now?" She spoke before he could answer her.

"Ok," The Jedi was looking for an opening between blaster shots so they could make there escape. "I was just curious."

"Jacen," She snapped at him. "Now is not the time." She fired a shot at one of the Stormtroopers but only grazed his helmet.

Taking that as his cue to leave that topic alone he changed the subject. "I wish I had my lightsaber, and then maybe we could get out of here."

"Here," Sara unhooked her lightsaber, the one she inherited from her Uncle Obi-wan, off her belt and shoved it into the Jedi's hands. "Take mine, I prefer the blaster anyway." She took a few more shots and hit one of the Stormtroopers in the arm, but it wasn't enough of a blow to get him to stop shooting back at them.

Jacen turned the lightsaber on and the purple light flickered to life as he jumped up and started to reflect the shots that were being thrown at them. Sara jumped up beside him and got few more good shots off hitting the Stormtrooper she had hit earlier square in the chest taking him out of play. The girl turned and ran for the exit on the other side of the main reactor room, Jacen following shortly after knocking the shots away from them. They both ran down the corridor that led to the docking bay where Jacen's two person X-wing sat waiting for them.

They entered the enormous room that housed all different size ships. As they weaved threw the different ships to get to their X-wing, A coldness surrounded Sara when a dark sleek ship caught her attention that had two cloaked people standing at the base of the ramp. She stopped and stared at them like they had hypnotized her as her companion kept running to there escape. Sara had felt there presents before, long ago when she was young. They were just one of the reasons Luke hid is daughter on Tattooine four years ago. The feelings she felt towards them busted, flooding her with anger, they where behind this whole conspiracy.

Jacen reached the ladder to his ship, spun around to let the girl he love climb up first and noticed that she was not behind him. He looked up at where he had come from and found Sara standing staring at the two people with her anger radiating out from her. He started to run for her when he saw that they had lit their red lightsabers and slowly headed for Sara. He got to her just as she was about to fire a shot at them and grabbed her arm making her shot hit the ship the figures arrived in. He pulled her as quickly as he could back to their ship as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"No, Jacen we need to stop them. They are behind this whole thing." She desperately tried to convince him to let her go.

Jacen trapped her against the ladder to the X-wing "We don't have time," he looked her in the eyes and thought he saw a twinge of yellow in them, but brushed it off as nothing when she blinked and the yellow was gone and all he saw was the determined emerald green eyes staring back at him. "We need to catch up to you father and your son." She didn't argue with him, at that moment she just wanted to be with her son and her father to hold them both in her arms. She quickly turned and climbed up the ladder with Jacen closely behind her.

Jacen and Sara took off in the X-wing making it to orbit with no trouble like no one had alerted the building of there presence. Sara sat in the seat behind Jacen with her back to him. She was quiet and the Jedi pilot could feel her uneasiness. "Are you ok?" his voice crackled threw the speaker next to her.

"Yea," she lied to him. She did want to talk about what had just happened in the docking bay. "Let's just get out of here."

"Ok," He could feel the avoidance of his question and punched in the coordinates for Coruscant and in a flash they were taken in to hyperspace.

* * *

That night back at Coruscant, Luke sat on the edge of a bed where he was trying to get Obi-Wan to sleep.

"Do you think my mommy made it back, Grandpa?" Obi-Wan asked Luke. iGrandpa/i there was a word that fill Luke's heart joy. The little boy he was with was his grandson and he was amazed by how much he loved him already.

"I hope so, Sar—your mom is a survivor, she doesn't surrender very easily, besides she has Jacen there to help her."

"I miss her."

"I know you do…so do I," Luke thought about how long it had been since he had seen his daughter, to talk to her and hold her in his arms, and now she has a child of her own.

Sara's voice came from the door way, "I miss you guys too,"

They both looked up and Obi-Wan let out a happy laugh and his Grandfather smiled, "You made it back," Luke was more relieved then happy to see her standing there.

"Mommy!" Obi-Wan crawled out of bed and jumped in to her arms, "will you stay with me tonight?"

"How about I spend the night with you and let your mom catch up with her dad." Another voice came from the door way, it was Jacen.

"Mmm…Ok" Obi-Wan sounded a little annoyed, but he agreed.

"Thanks Jacen," Sara smiled at the Jedi Knight, "now Obi-Wan it is time for bed," she placed her son back in the bed and kissed him goodnight, Sara walked over to Jacen and kissed him on the cheek, "good night"

"Thanks Jace," Luke said, patting his nephew's shoulder as he walked out of the door with his daughter leaving Jacen and Obi-wan alone in the bedroom. Jacen lied down on the bed next to Obi-wan resting his head on his hands and crossing his legs at his ankles in a relaxing position.

The child moved so he could mimicking the man's position. "Did you guys run into trouble?" the boy asked curiously.

"A little bit." He didn't want to scare him with what really happened. "But it was nothing we couldn't handle."

"Is Grandpa a Jedi Knight like you?" he wondered.

"Sort of, he is a Jedi Master." He tried to impress the boy with Luke's ability as they lied there.

"I want to be a Jedi Knight when I grow up."

"Really," Jacen smiled at the boy. "I think your Grandpa will like that."

* * *

Sara walked into her fathers room, followed closely behind her was Luke.

"I'm glad your home," he spoke softly.

Sara didn't say anything, she just walked around the room looking at pictures on the shelf.

"Is it as you remember?" Sara looked at him and smiled as Luke continued, "I remember my favourite time spending with you. You would run in here, scared because you herd a noise in your room or you had a bad dream."

As Sara listened to his story, she noticed a small holo of Luke and a woman with red hair, the same women that she had helped rescued from the Empire, they were all dressed up, Luke in a tux and the red haired woman in a white dress. Sara picked up the holo to take a closer look.

"…And you would fall asleep on my chest," Luke paused "I miss that."

"You got married?" Sara asked not really listening to the end of the story.

"Yea, I did," he walked over to her, "her name is Mara, she is wonderful, she was there for me when I lost you," Sara wrapped her arms around Luke waist and he just held her tightly, "I wanted you to be there for the wedding so badly."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The Jedi are in grave danger. The Yuuzhan Vong has created a creature designed to hunt and kill Jedi." Luke was speaking to a room full of people. Sara was sitting on the side of the room next to where her father was standing. Jacen was sitting across the room from her next Jaina and Anakin. The room was filled with many other Jedi and close friends. In the front of the room sat Han, Leia and Mara, Sara's baby brother Ben was also there, he was sleeping in his mother Mara's arms. Tahiri was sitting next to Anakin and behind the front row sat Tenel Ka, Ganner, Saba, Dannie, and many more faces that she knew and didn't know.

As the discussion continued about the beast, the room got louder and more intense. Ben started to stir in his mother's arms waking up from the noise in the room. Mara signaled Sara to come over to her. Mara gave Ben to her and told her to bring him to 3PO who was down the hall in the nursery with Obi-Wan.

Sara did her best to quiet the fussy baby in her arms. She hummed him a lullaby as she walked to the nursery that seamed to slowly calm him down. She arrived at the door and Ben had fallen back asleep. "That song would always calm Obi-Wan down too." She spoke to the sleeping child. The door swooshed open and Sara walked in the room to find her son holding a plastic toy tube and whacking 3PO with it.

"Oh my!" the golden droid exclaimed. "Mistress Sara I'm sorry but I don't understand the game he is playing."

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" she asked her son as she laid Ben in the playpen to sleep.

"I'm Jacen off fighting the evil Vong," he wacked 3PO in the leg again.

"Master Obi-Wan that it quite enough, I am done playing your little game." The droid quickly shuffled over to Sara.

"Victory is mine!" Obi-Wan yelled in triumph.

"Ok buddy, we need to be quiet because Ben needs to sleep." She picked up her son. "You can be Jacen some other time. How about you read a book for the time being." She set him down in a big cozy chair.

Obi-Wan looked up at her, "Mommy?"

Sara sat down next to her son and pulled the boy onto her lap wrapping her arms around his waist, "what's on your mind baby?"

"Can I go to the Jedi Academy so I can be a Jedi Knight?" He asked hesitantly, not knowing how his mom would feel about him going away.

"Well baby, that's your decision," She explained, "if you really want to go, I'll talk to Grandpa and he can make it happen, I'm sure he would love it if you went to his school."

The child looked surprised by his mother's answer, "you won't be mad?"

"No, why would I be mad? I'll miss you terribly, but I could never be mad at my baby." Sara smiled at him and gave him a big hug.

"Thanks Mommy!"

"Ok, I have to get back to the meeting." She stood up and set her son back on the chair, "Give 3PO a break." Sara ruffled Obi-Wan's hair and headed out of the room.

* * *

When Sara returned to the meeting, the room had gotten so tense that you could cut it with a butter knife. She walked over to the empty seat next to Jacen, but he was so involved in the conversation that he didn't even notice she had returned. Han was yelling about how he was not going to loose any of his children to the Yuuzhan Vong on a mission that would bring them deep into the enemies territory.

"Alright!" Luke tried to silence the room, "let's have a vote," he said as the room quieted. "If you vote yes we are going to send a strike team of young Jedi to Mryrk to destroy the Queen, raise your hand."

Sara noticed that Jacen didn't raise his hand, she was relieved that her loved on would not be going on this suicide mission.

"All who disagree with the mission raise your hand." Luke continued with the vote, the rest of the room raised their hands, but it was not enough to stop the mission.

"Then it has been decided, Anakin will lead a mission to Myrk," Master Skywalker confirmed the vote.

Jacen got to his feet and announced slowly, "I know that I do not agree with the mission, but as Anakin's brother I feel I should be the first to volunteer for it…"

Sara's heart sank and she interrupted, "Jacen no," she stood up next to him to protest.

The Jedi Knight stared at her seriously, "we'll talk about it later Sara." Jacen cut her off firmly.

Sara was shocked and speechless; as she sat down in her chair her heart sank along with her, the young woman couldn't believe that Jacen would do this.

The conversation continued in the room, but Sara didn't pay any attention, she was trapped in her own thoughts of the fear of loosing Jacen, he was the best thing that has happened to her and Obi-Wan. If he had not walked into her life she would still be on Tatooine, far away from her father and raising Obi-Wan on her own.

The thought of loosing him made her sick to her stomach.

Luke was sitting at a desk in the front of the room. He was paying attention to the conversation, listening to something Jacen was saying to his father, until he noticed that something was wrong with his daughter, she was breathing kind of hard, and sweating as she looked around the room and swallowed hard. Right before Luke's eyes Sara's face turned pail white and she ran out of the room.

Luke motioned for Mara to come over to him. "See if Sara is alright." He whispered to her, Mara kissed him on the head and went to find Sara, after she left he finally quieted the room. "I think we are going to end the meeting for today. If you are interested in helping with the mission talk to Anakin after we are done, then I will sit down with Anakin and go over the details carefully and thoroughly. Thank you everyone and may the Force be with you all," he finalized the meeting.

* * *

Luke was in his office with his nephew Anakin going over the planes for the mission, Han, Leia and Jaina had insisted they be there also for the planning, they hovered over Luke and Anakin like vultures trying to give their input on how the mission would progress, Mara had returned earlier with no luck finding Sara, she had taken Ben and Obi-Wan to get ready for bed.

It was during this time Jacen walked into the room, "Uncle Luke can I talk to you?" He nervously interrupted, at first Jacen didn't notice his family standing next to Luke, "it will only take a minute."

Master Skywalker looked aside at Anakin and he nodded his head, Luke looked back at his other nephew, "certainly," he finally answered, "do you want to go into the other room?"

Jacen finally noticed his family standing behind Luke, looking at him curiously and the young Jedi decided that they should be apart of this conversation too, "no, my family will want to here this as well."

"Ok go ahead." Luke encouraged.

The Jedi Knight took a deep breath to clam his nerves, he'd never believed that asking this simple little question would be harder then facing a Rancor on a bad day, "I'm asking you this not as your apprentice or your nephew. I'm asking you this as someone who is in love with your daughter," Jacen began, the young man glanced at his twin and saw Jaina knew what Jacen was going to ask, and she could hardly contain her excitement as she grabbed her little brother's arm to help hold her back.

Bringing his attention back to the question Jacen wanted to ask, "I love your daughter very much, I love Obi-Wan as if he were my own." He explained and then took a deep breath "May I have your permission to ask Sara to be my wife?" Jacen finally spat the words out of his mouth; he looked over at his family and saw his mother holding his fathers arm on the verge of crying. Jaina had a huge smile on her face, Han and Anakin had a dumb founded, jaw dropping look on their face, not believing that Jacen just asked that question.

There was an uneasiness silence as the entire family waited for Luke's reply, but before the Jedi Master could say anything the door swooshed open and Sara stormed into the room.

"Daddy I need to-"she looked around and saw everyone standing around starring at Jacen, "what's going on?"

"We're just going over the mission." Luke replied right away.

"Daddy, I need to talk to you. NOW privately" Sara said firmly.

Luke held out his hand leading to the bedroom door, as she stormed into the room Luke turned to Jacen, before he followed his daughter into the room, "I'll have your answer when I get back."

When the door closed behind father and daughter, Jaina ran over to Jacen and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I never thought that this day was going to come."

As Jaina let go of her twin, Han spoke up, "son, do you know what you are doing?"

"Jace, are you thinking straight?" Anakin likewise demanded of his older brother.

Leia elbowed Han lightly in his gut, "Oh quiet you two, Jacen I'm so happy for you," she walked over and gave her son a hug, "do you have a ring to give her?" she looked him in the eyes.

Jacen looked down to the floor. "No, no I don't, it just kind of came to me that she is the one I want to spend my life with, and I will do anything to protect her and Obi-Wan."

"I know you will sweetie." Leia took the white gold band off of her finger, and placed it in to his hand, "your father gave me this ring when he asked me to marry him, we would be honored if you ask her with this ring."

Jacen looked at the ring, there were three diamonds set close together in the band, along the inside of the ring was written: iYou are the one I love./i He clutched the ring tightly in his hand then looked down at his Mother, "it's beautiful, thanks mom" He gave Leia a kiss on the cheek and hugged her tightly.

* * *

Inside the bedroom, Luke sat on his bed watching as his daughter stood at the window, looking out at the city of Coruscant, the orange light from the setting sun spilled into the room making Sara look like she was covered in gold, "what do you want to talk about?" Luke asked her.

Sara turned to her father and looked him straight in the eye, Luke could see her eyes were glossy with tears, "Father, you have to call off the mission." She spoke very softly.

Luke knew that it was not the answer she wanted to hear, but he said it as gently as possible, "I can't do that sweetheart, you know that."

"Then order him not to go!" Sara raised her voice suddenly.

"Sweetheart-"

"It's suicide!" she yelled louder.

"Sweetheart I know" Luke exclaimed back trying to match her volume, then seeing tears run down her face, she was trying so hard to hold her composure, he took a deep breath to calm down, in a quieter voice Luke continued, "Sara, it's not my decision."

Leaving all her composure behind, Sara ran to her father and knelt down in front of him, "please Daddy, he can't go, he can't," she begged as she placed her head in his lap and started sobbing, "I love him so much."

"I know you do sweetheart," Skywalker placed his hand on his adopted daughter's head and stroked her long brown hair, "I don't like this mission just as much as you do but I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do." For a moment there was just the sound of just Sara crying, her father's heart ached to see his daughter so scared for the life of the man she loved. He wanted nothing more but to calm her fears, so Luke formulated an idea in his head, "Sara look at me" she slowly lifted her head; Luke held her head in his hands. "I promise you that he will come back."

Sara nodded her head in surrender, she wasn't entirely happy with the out come her father gave her, but she didn't know how else to persuade him to not let Jacen go on this mission, slowly rising to her feet she ran out the door before Luke could stop her.

* * *

Jacen saw his love run out the door, right before she ran passed him; he grabbed her by the arms gently, Sara didn't resist his stop but she wouldn't look at him, she couldn't. She just wanted get out of there.

"Sara what's wrong?" he whispered to her, she didn't say anything; she just stared at the door she was heading for. "Sara?" Jacen said again, he could see the river of tears that had been running down her cheeks.

After a moment Sara slowly brought her eyes to meet his eyes, Jacen couldn't believe what he saw; Pain, hurt, horror, and loneliness. He wanted to wrap her in his arms tightly and make it all go away.

Tears started to fill her eyes again, her body slowly started to shake from trying to hold them back, Sara pushed the man she loved away and ran out the door, all Jacen could do was watch her run out the door, he wanted to run after her but couldn't, he was stuck waiting for his answer from Luke.

Jacen turned to look at his uncle, who was standing behind his desk again, Luke saw the concern in his nephew's face and sighed.

"She'll be fine," the Jedi Master assured him, "but that did break my heart." He paused for a moment, "after talking with her, I saw how much she loves you, I wouldn't want anyone else taking care of my daughter and my grandson the way you have, and the way you will. I would love for you to marry her."

A smile ran across Jacen's face ear to ear as relief came over him, "thank you."

"I gave him the ring that Han gave me when he asked me to marry him," Leia came up next her eldest son and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Luke smiled in approval, "go," he said softly, "go be with her. She needs you now."

Jacen exchanged one last smile with his uncle, he spun on his heal and swiftly walked out the door to be with the one he loved.

Luke watched his nephew leave the room, when the door shut he picked up some papers on his desk and straightened them, addressing his niece and youngest nephew as he did, "Anakin…Jaina…I made a promise to my daughter, I promised he would make it home." He looked them both in the eyes. "Will you help me keep my promise?"

* * *

Sara was lying on her bed, facing the window starring at the cars zooming past randomly. Jacen crept over to her and lay down next to her, wrapping his arms around her pulling close to him. He rested his head so close to Sara's that she could feel his breath caress her cheek.

"I know you're mad at me," Solo whispered in her ear, "I'm tired of this war, we have lost so much already, I don't want to loose you or Obi-Wan or anyone else, I love you both so much." He stopped for a moment searching for the right words to say.

He pulled out the ring from his pocket, he slid it gently onto Sara's finger, "this ring was given to my mother when my dad asked her to marry him. Now I'm giving it to you in the hope that you will marry me."

Sara didn't say anything; she just took a deep breath in, trying so hard to keep the tears from falling, but had no luck.

"Please say something," Jacen pleaded.

"You didn't get on one knee." She finally spoke softly.

Jacen busted out laughing with relief, he jumped over Sara onto the floor on the other side of the bed, "you have to sit up," He smiled at her.

Sara did so and whipped the tears from her cheeks, Jacen took her hands in his, she smiled at Jacen and it took his breath away, the young man could hardly believe that he was going to ask this beautiful woman to spend the rest of their lives together.

"Sara Skywalker" He joked with her, then turned serious. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Sara replied instantly, she threw her arms around him and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I'm spending the day with my dad today." Sara spoke to Jacen over the holo-phone in the living room of the apartment, where her and her son now live in with her father and his wife. "When are you coming home?"

"We're getting home in about five days" Jacen replied. He was on the _Falcon_ floating in the orbit of Coruscant, getting ready to go with his family on a short vacation to Corellia, before the mission to Myrkr. Han and Leia wanted some quality family time together before war scattered their family across the galaxy.

"I miss you." She pouted and shortly cracked a smile across her face because she could no longer hold a straight face while she teased him.

"I miss you too," Jacen smiled. "Don't look so sad, I'll be back before you know it."

"Yea and then you are just going to leave right after you get back." She humored him, took a deep breath in and sighed. "I should get going."

"So should I. I love you, see you soon." Sara heard Han swearing at something in the background, making her smile and chuckle to herself.

"I love you too. Bye" she said as she turned of the screen.

"You almost ready to go?" Luke asked as he entered the room, his daughter turning from the screen to face him.

Sara saw her father gazing at her with a fatherly smile that warmed her heart. "Almost." She smiled back. "Is Mara coming?" Thinking it was oddly quieter then normal, she looked around the living room into the kitchen wondering where Mara, Ben and her son were.

"No she is taking Ben and Obi-Wan out shopping. She is getting school supplies for Obi-Wan. Then she is taking them to the beach platform. So, today it is just you and me." Luke smiled, walked into the kitchen and searched the fridge for food as he explained.

"Just like it used to be." her eyes filled with delight as a smile ran across her face. "I can't wait!"

Luke smiled back at her amazed about how much she had grown up in the past three years. "I'm a little hungry. Do you want anything to eat before we head out?" Luke started to make sandwiches before she could even answer.

"Sure. Let me grab my holocam while you finish up." Sara left the kitchen area and walked to her bedroom where she opened a drawer in her nightstand and found the Holocam. She reached down to grab the cam when a sickening feeling brushed over her. Something was not right. The feeling of pain and fear flooded her. Her mind went to her son, but felt a bundle of joy where he was. Jacen crossed her mind next. Was something was wrong with the Falcon, but the sickening feeling was closer. "Daddy," she whispered to herself as dread filled her. She ran back to the kitchen and stopped in her tracks when she saw her father collapse onto the floor. "Daddy?" she dropped her holocam letting it fall to the floor and shatter in to peaces. "DADDY!" she screamed as the frightened girl hurried over to Luke side.

Sara leaned over her father, his face pail as a ghost. "Daddy, Please….No" she watched her father's eyes as he winced in pain. Luke reached out to touch his daughter's face. She grabbed it and pushed it against her face kissing his shaky hand. "Daddy please! Somebody help me!" She screamed out hoping someone was near by to hear her plea. "Daddy no…don't leave me" She begged for him to be ok but he was fading quickly. "…HELP! Anyone! Help!" Sara cried out again. Sensing that no one was around, she realized she had to do something. She closed her eyes letting the Force guide her actions and placed her hand on his forehead. Instantly she felt all the pain her father was feeling flow through her making her cry out in agony. The pain was so over powerful that darkness soon followed.

* * *

The enormous wooden doors swung opened echoing throughout the grand chamber of one of Korriban's many Sith temples. A human proudly marched through locking his gaze on his Sith Master who was sitting in his throne meditating. Upon reaching him he knelt down to one knee offering himself to his lords services. "You summoned me Darth Themus."

The Zabrak sat quietly with his eyes closed concentrating on the darkness flowing through him. "There is a disturbance in the force." His voiced boomed throughout the room as he spoke. He opened his eyes. "This disturbance might give us the chance we need to obtain the child."

"Yes Master. I have felt it too." The apprentice was eager to hear that they are so closed to there goal of obtaining the key in defeating the Jedi.

"Go to Coruscant and intercept the Key." He ordered.

"Yes Master," the human was honored to be given the task but hesitated as a thought crossed his mind.

"Darth Zom, your thoughts betray you." Darth Themus accused him.

"What if I run in to Skywalker? I am no match for him alone."

"You have a lot to learn." Themus scolded him. "You will not have trouble with Skywalker."

"Yes Master." He bowed his head as sign of apology.

"And Darth Zom," he locked his eyes on him. "Don't fail."

The order sent a chill down Zom's spine but he did not show his fear to his master. "Yes Master." The human bowed and swiftly stood. He turned on his heel and walked out of the grand chamber in the same manor he entered in.

* * *

The Solo family traveled through Hyperspace on there way to Corellia. Jaina was sitting next to her father and tried to help him fix a modification with the lighting in the hallway that connected the common room and the cockpit. Jacen sat with his brother and mother playing a game of Dejarik while they waited to arrive out of hyperspace. Jacen moved his blue Mantellian Savrips peace and it attacked Anakin's yellow Houjix peace. The two peaces fought until the Mantellian Savrips won.

Frustrated, Anakin sighed. "You cheated!" he accused his older brother.

"I did not." He bickered back. "You still have a chance to win."

"He is right sweetheart." Leia analyzed the game as she sat next to her youngest son. "All you have to do…"

"Mom, don't tell him!" Jacen exclaimed. "Let him figure…" Jacen's sentence trailed off as the feeling of pain brushed over him. He looked around at his mother and brother, the expression on their face showed that they had felt it too. Jaina hurried into the common room with a worried look in face and tears in her eyes.

"Jaina, I didn't mean it like that," Han followed his daughter hoping he didn't offend her by something he said. "I just meant that…" Han caught sight of the rest of his family. He didn't need the Force to know that something was not right. "What happened?"

"It's Luke." Leia spoke softly. "Something is wrong with him." Everyone was silent. No one knew what to say or do until an alarm went off indicating that they had arrived at their destination and everyone seemed to move at once. Han left to go to the cockpit followed by Leia and Anakin, Jaina walked over to the Falcon's communication system and tried to get a hold of Mara. Jacen Pulled out his personal comlink and tried to get a hold of Sara.

After both of them being unsuccessful on reaching anyone, the twins joined their parents and brother in the cockpit. "Any word?" Leia asked her children.

"No," Jacen shook his head.

Another beep sounded that startled everyone, it was an incoming call to the _Falcon_. Han took a deep breath and answered it apprehensively. "Hello?"

"Han, it's Corran." The familiar voice sounded through out the cockpit. "You might need to cut your trip short, Luke is in the medical ward."

"Is he ok?" He asked almost fearing the answer to the question.

"Yea, he'll be ok. He just had a heart attack."

"How is Mara?"

"She is hanging in there. She needs some help with the kids."

Jacen's eyes widen and jumped out of his chair. "Where's Sara?"

Silence filled the cockpit. Jacen clinch his jaw tight as he waited for the answer. Finally Corran spoke "She is taking this really hard."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Jacen decided with out discussion.

* * *

Jacen arrived at the medical ward and poked his head in the open door were Luke had been placed in. When Mara saw her nephew in the doorway way she quickly walked over to him and hugged him. "Thanks for coming home early Jacen, He is in a Force Healing hibernation. He is going to be fine when he wakes up." Mara gestured the young man in to the small medical room where Luke was resting as she gave him Luke's status up date. "We all felt him in the force and Corran was the first to arrive. He heard her screaming as he ran to the apartment. When he finally got their both Luke and Sara were unconscious. He said that she woke up shortly after he got there and while the medics taking care of Luke, Corran said that Sara was pacing back and forth muttering to herself how she thought she killed him, but whatever she did it saved his life. She hasn't left his side. Danni came to pick up the kids but she can only take them until tomorrow morning" She looked at Sara curled up the tiny bed next to her father. "She needs a break from this place."

"We'll stop by your place and pick up a change of clothes. Then I'll take her to my place, you can tell Danni to bring the kids by there when ever she needs to. How are you doing?" Jacen asked surprised at how well his aunt was holding up.

"I'm hanging in there. They say he is going to be fine, thank the Force." Jacen could see that she was in control but he could feel that she was all shook up inside. "I don't know what I would do without him." Mara voiced quivered at the thought of losing her husband. "I can't imagine raising Ben without him, on my own. Ben would have never known what a wonderful man his father was." The thought frighten her.

Jacen wrapped his arms around his aunt, knowing that he didn't have the words to say to comfort her. Mara hugged him back tightly and then let go so she could gain back her composer she temporarily lost.

"Could you do me a favor Jacen?"

"Anything," he responded without a second thought.

"Take care of Sara, she hasn't eaten or slept yet and I'm worried she is going to get sick."

"You have enough to worry about. I'll take care of her. I'm sorry about Uncle Luke, everything will be ok." He gave his aunt another hug to comfort her. "Mom and Dad will be back late tomorrow. They got a little held up on Corellia." They turned and walked over to the bed where Sara lied curled up on the bed next to her father.

"Sara, Jacen is here. He is going to take you with him." Mara said solemnly but Sara didn't respond. "You need a break from here." She tried to explain to the unresponsive girl.

"Come on Sara," Jacen put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll bring you back tomorrow." He gently guided her to get up off the bed. Sara followed him willingly with out a word or with out shedding a tear. She desperately put her arms around her loved one's waist and clung on to him tightly.

"I'll call you if any thing happens." Mara told them as Jacen walked Sara out of the room.

* * *

Sara walked into Jacen's bedroom with her arms wrapped around herself. Jacen followed behind her caring a bag full of Sara's stuff. Sara stopped in the middle of the room. She had not said a word since Jacen arrived at the med center. Jacen brought Sara's bag to the far side of the room. After setting it down he closed the curtains to block out the light from the city. Jacen turned and looked at Sara. She was just standing their, lost. She seemed to have her mind on other things, but Jacen didn't know what.

Jacen walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Everything is going to be alright." He reassured her. He kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close to his warm body. But Sara just stood still, completely nonresponsive to his touch.

"Are you hungry?" Jacen asked her, but she didn't answer. "I'm going to go and warm up some soup," Jacen kissed her on the head again "Do you want to sit down?" he asked her but still there was no response. "Ok, I'll be right back." And he left her standing there in the middle of the room.

A little while later Jacen came back into the room with a bowl of soup. He set it on the night stand next to his bed. Sara had not moved from where she was standing when he left the room, but something had changed in her eyes. Jacen stood in front of Sara and looked in her teary eyes. He didn't know what to do to bring her back from the lost world she was in. "Sara? Please come back to me?"

Sara collapsed to her knees, Jacen went down with her to try and catch her. He sat there next to his lost love. She started was crying uncontrollably as she curled up next to Jacen; resting her head in his lap and all he could do was hold her.

"It's going to be alright Sara, you'll see." He combed his fingers threw her fine silky brown hair, while he let her cry.

* * *

The bright yellow sun broke in through the curtains to Jacen's room falling across his face, waking him up. His muscles were stiff, and then realized that he and Sara had fallen asleep right on the floor in the middle of the room. Slowly Jacen got up off the floor and pick Sara up and cradled her in his arms. He placed her in the bed gently being careful not to wake his sleeping beauty.

He went into the kitchen to rummage for food. Before he could find anything that looked good, the door buzzer rang. He quickly walked over to answer it. When he opened the door, there stood Danni with Ben in her arms fast asleep and Obi-wan jumping in to Jacen's arms. Jacen wrapped the boy in a monstrous hug. "Mara said I could bring them by." Danni said, completely exhausted.

"Yea that's not a problem at all." Jacen set Obi-wan on the floor. "Thank you for watching them." Jacen took the sleeping Ben from Danni's arms.

Obi-wan tugged on Jacen's Jedi robe. "Are Mommy and Grandpa going to be alright?"

"Grandpa will be ok, and Mommy is sleeping right now," He knelt down awkwardly with Ben in his arms "But she will be fine. She just needs some rest." He ruffled the boys hair. "Why don't you watch a little holonet?"

"Ok" Obi-wan ran over to the couch and his attention was turned to the holonet on.

"Well I have to get going" Danni said after Obi-wan left.

"Thanks again Danni for taking care of the kids."

"It wasn't a problem I'm just glad to help." She gave Jacen a friendly hug and she left the apartment.

Jacen laid a blanket on the ground and laid Ben on it to sleep. He plopped down on the couch next to Obi-wan and watched a bit of the Holo-net, until out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure come to the door of the bedroom. He looked over and saw his sleeping beauty smiling at him. Jacen smiled back, then he leaned down to whisper into Obi-wan "Look who is up."

Obi-wan turned to see his mother standing there with a big smile on her face. He ran over to her and jumped into her arms. Jacen got up and followed him over to her. "You look so much better." He kissed her on her forehead and she rested her head on his shoulder as she held her son in her arm.

Later that afternoon while he was putting away lunch leftovers, Jacen received a call from Mara. "All right everyone, get ready to go. We are going to the medical ward." Jacen announced to Sara who was finishing up feeding Ben and Obi-wan who was trying unsuccessfully to help her. Obi-wan ran off to the other room with out being asked twice to get ready. Sara got up and walked over to Jacen with an eager look on her face.

"Is he alright?" Sara asked hopefully. Jacen smiled and put his arms around her.

"He is fine," Jacen kissed her on the head "And awake." Sara pulled back from him and looked at him with wide eyes, then threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug relieved to hear the news about her father.

* * *

A week had past since Luke was in the medical ward. He had made a quick recovery with the help of the Force. Today he will need his strength, so he could comfort his wife and daughter as they would send their children off to the Jedi academy and sent the strike team on their mission.

The space port was chaotic, people coming and leaving, loading and unloading cargo, there were huddles of people saying their goodbyes to loved ones. "Remember I'm doing this for you and Obi-wan" Jacen tried to comfort Sara by holding her in his arms. It had come time for Jacen and the rest of the strike team to execute their mission to Myrkr, in which they had been preparing for weeks.

"Bye Squirt," Jacen knelt down to Obi-Wan's level. "You have a safe trip with Ben and the other students. And learn a lot at the Jedi Academy." Obi-Wan nodded and Jacen gave him a hug. "I'll miss you." Jacen stood up and looked deeply Sara in the eyes "I love you."

Trying to hold back her tears Sara spoke softly, "I know." She managed a small smile. "Now kiss me and go and get this whole thing over with." Jacen smiled, stepped closer to Sara and held her in his arm, finally his lips met hers as they kissed goodbye.

As Sara and Obi-Wan watched Jacen walk into the ship that would take him away from them, he stopped at the top of the ramp, turned and waved to them. Sara knelt down and wrapped her arms around her son. "How would you like Jacen to be your father?" she whispered his ear.

"But I already think of him as my dad." Obi-Wan kept his eyes on Jacen and waved back to him. Sara smiled and squeezed him "I know you do." Together they watched the Jedi disappear into the ship that would take him to Myrkr.

A few hours later it came time for Obi-Wan to leave with Ben and the other Jedi Academy students. She stood there with Mara and her father watching their children being taken from them. Sara kept reminding herself that it was a part of growing up and it was good for him to go to school, but part of her wanted to keep him a little boy forever.

"Why do I have to loose both my boys in one day?" She asked her father rhetorically, and then smiled as she noticed that Obi-Wan did the same thing that Jacen did when he had left earlier, at the top of the ramp he turned and waved to his mom before walking inside. The thought crossed Sara mind that her son wanted to be just like Jacen, as she waved back to him.

Luke put an arm around his daughter and the other around his wife. "Nothing is going to happen to them. They are going to be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sara was in the kitchen of the Solo's Coruscant apartment cooking dinner for Han, Leia, Mara and Her father. Since Jacen left with his younger brother and twin sister, Sara had enjoyed spending time over at the Solo's, making her feel closer to Jacen even though he was not there. Han and Leia didn't mind having her there either, it made the place seem less empty and they didn't have to listen to 3PO all the time. Another bonus was that she cooked, meaning that Han didn't have to eat Leia's horrible cooking.

"What time is dinner going to be ready?" Han asked as he snuck up behind her and dipped his finger into the sauce she was mixing. "Mmm… that's good." He savored the sample he stole.

"It's not going to get done any faster if you keep stealing samples." She grinned at the man who Jacen resembled so much. "Beside we have to wait for Dad and Mara to get here." Sara pursed her lips together as Han tried to steal another sample, but Sara was ready this time and slapped his hand away. "Go bug your wife." She shooed him out of the kitchen.

As Sara poured the seasoned sauce over the different Ootoowerg she smiled thinking of Hans teasing hurt face as she had shooed him out of the kitchen. Finishing up the final preparations she carried the pan over to the oven. She never made it to the oven. Halfway through the kitchen the pan hit the ground as a coursing pain pumped through her body. Sara fell to her knees, her head spinning, Somewhere in the background the pan crashed, shattering.

But it was the pounding sound of her heart that she heard clearest. Someone had become one with the force. It took her mind a moment to ask; who? But the sound of cries down the hall answered her question before she had the need to seek the answer herself.

A little dazed Sara wandered down the hall to where the Solo's had their office. Leia was on the floor crying uncontrollably and Han leaning against the wall, the sorrow and fury radiating off them was so powerful that Sara had to support herself agents the door frame.

The room was a mess, papers scattered on the floor, furniture flipped over and broken glass was every where. She didn't have time wonder how it got like this when Han grabbed a vase and chucked across the room in a raging outburst. Han was obviously not looking where he threw things because the pot he sent flying across the room came heading in Sara's direction.

In a dazed stupor, she didn't have time to react before a firm hand grabbed her arm and pulled her into a tight hug to shield her from the flying glass.

When she looked up she found herself looking into her father's soft blue eyes that seemed to ask if she was alright, she nodded silently as she watched Mara walk over and kneel on the floor next to Leia and to try to comfort the poor women.

"Ana…" Leia tried to speak through her crying. Sara knew what she was saying.

Anakin.

Anakin was the person who had become one with the Force.

Luke left his daughter side and walked over to Han, putting a hand on his old friend's shoulder, Han ignored the gesture and staggered over to his devastated wife and knelt down beside her, pulling her close to him.

Watching Han and Leia attempt to cope with the death of their youngest son she was lost in worry for those closest to her, Obi-Wan was at school safe, probably warm in his bed. Jacen on the other hand was with Anakin when he was killed, terrifying her.

Worry stared to consume her as she leaned against the doorway again, she couldn't feel him in the Force. She knew nothing had happened to him, she would have felt it like she did with Anakin, but he still was not there, the worry started to take its toll on Sara that she sank down to the floor and stared off into the distance.

* * *

"Asking the Solo's for help right now is probably not the best idea," Mara spoke her mind at the meeting her and Luke were sitting in with Wedge, and a small hand full of Jedi masters discussing a way to improve the defense agents the Yuuzhan Vong.

"They just lost a son a week ago, they need some more time," Luke added but before he could continue Corran Horn rushed into the room with urgent news.

"The Yuuzhan Vong are invading Coruscant! Their ships have broken through our line of defense."

Silence filled the room as they sat looking at each other wondering what they were going to do.

Master Skywalker thought for a moment as he formulated a plan, speaking softly; "This is what I think we should do. Wedge, can you call Hapes, ask the Queen Mother if she would be willing to host refugees. Corran take as many Jedi pilots and escort evacuation ships, Clighal, take Danni Quee to rescue evac pilots who have been shot down. Mara, call Han tell him what is going on then-"

"Don't even think about it Farmboy," she interrupted him. "Clighal and Danni can take the _Jade Shadow_, I'm coming with you," She pierced him with her green eyes.

He looked at his wife and didn't dare oppose her. "Ok, can you get our x-wings ready?" he asked her and she nodded in agreement, "I have to get Sara to Han and Leia, they will get her off safely." Luke turned to Corran "I will join you afterwards, if there are any objections you should speak now."

The room was silent as no one could think of a better idea.

Luke concluded the meeting. "May the Force be with you!"

* * *

The sound of whistles and explosions woke Sara up early in the morning, quickly getting out of bed Sara rushed over to the window and was surprised to see what was going on, the young woman was stunned when she saw ships being chased by organic Yuuzhan Vong ships.

There were buildings smoking from where fired shots had missed the enemy, all Sara could do was hold her mouth at the sight of war right outside of her home, she ran around the apartment looking for her father and found that she was the only one home. Sara grabbed her comlink off the kitchen counter just as it beeped signaling an incoming call, "Daddy what's going on?" She asked with panic in her voice, knowing it was him on the other line, "Where are you?"

"Sara listen to me," Her father's voice crackled through the com, "I'm on my way, get a few things together, we are leaving Coruscant."

"But Daddy…"

"Just do what I say sweetheart, I'll be right there," without another word Luke clicked off and Sara ran back to the bedroom. She quickly got dressed hooking her lightsaber onto her belt. Grabbing a few necessities, she stuffed them into a small bag and was about to leave the room when she remembered something she couldn't live with out, a picture of Obi-Wan, Jacen and herself on Tatooine.

It was her favorite picture and she couldn't leave it behind. Running to the side of her bed she picked up the picture and placed in the bag. The apartment suddenly began to shake violently and Sara was forced to get down to the floor, trying to protect herself as things on the shelves came tumbling down around her.

Soon the shaking stopped, Sara ran out of the bedroom to find that an A-wing had smashed into the living room of the apartment creating a large hole in the wall that looked out at the city, smoke from the A-wing filled the room and she could feel the heat from the fire that was slowly growing. Through the smoke, Sara saw that there was a person in the A-wing.

She dropped her bag and quickly climbed up the side of the A-wing, she reached the canapé of the cockpit and with all the strength she could muster up lifted it up, holding the canopy up she saw a dark skinned female in the pilot seat who was not moving. Propping the canopy up with a piece of broken wood she reached down and checked the pilot's vital signs, the Pilot was dead.

The room started to shake again, this time not as violently, the young woman thought another fighter pilot must have smashed in to the building again but this time on a different floor. She quickly climbed her way out of the cockpit and slid down the side of the A-wing, before the piece of wood she used to prop the canopy open broke and it slammed shut.

Sara picked up her bag and headed for the door deciding that she would meet up with her father as he came for her, before she walked out of the door someone came up from behind her and pinned her against the wall. It was a pale faced Sith who had dark stringy hair.

"Hi pretty girl." Darth Zom whispered his foul breath in her face as he pressed his body against hers to keep her from struggling, his face was so close to hers that she felt like she could see into the darkness of his soul through his eyes.

"You remember me?" Zom asked his captured prey, Sara didn't say anything and she tried to pull away from him. "My, Daddy's little girl has sure grown up," grabbing a strain of hair from Sara's face he twirled it around his finger and breathed in Sara's sweet sent, revolted by him, the young woman glared at him with lethal eyes, "where is your kid?"

"A place where you will never find him," she finally spoke through her teeth.

A swoosh of the door and Luke Skywalker came charging in with his green lightsaber armed and ready, he skidded to a halt when the Sith put his daughter between Luke and himself, lighting his own crimson blade and held it up to Sara's chin.

"Leave my daughter alone," Luke ordered.

"Look pretty girl, Daddy has come to save you!" He spoke loud enough that Luke could hear what he was saying, the Sith slowly backed up towards the big hole in the wall where the A-wing had smashed into, dragging the girl in his arms with him.

This move gave Sara the freedom to elbow the Sith in the stomach, with enough force to knock the wind out of him, grabbing his arm that held the lightsaber, flipping him over her shoulder and on to his back, she lit her own lightsaber with determination, holding the green blade up to her attackers face.

"What makes you think I need Daddy's protection?"

The Sith stared with ominous eyes at the girl, Zom swept his legs across the floor hitting Sara's out from underneath her, she hit the floor hard and Zom took his chance to escape, knowing full well he could not take the Jedi master and his daughter both in a fight. He scrambled to his feet and took off running for the hole in the wall created by the A-wing while Luke took off after him, Zom reached the edge of the hole and dove right off the building into a free fall.

Luke stopped at the edge of the floor and watched the Sith fall as he made his escape. He ran back to his daughter and helped her off the floor, "come on, we need to get you to the _Falcon_. Han and Leia are waiting for you."

Luke and Sara weaved their way through the crowded skyways of Coruscant while they ran to the space port where the _Falcon_ was waiting for them. As they ran for the docking bay Han was standing the top of the ramp.

"Hurry up Kid, I ain't waiting forever," Solo shouted at them as they got closer.

Luke out of breath from running spoke up, "I'll see you all at the rendezvous spot,"

"What?" Sara stopped dead in her tracks at the bottom of the ramp. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Mara and I'll be escorting ships to safety in our X-wings," Luke quickly explained.

"No," she protested, "you guys are coming with us," Skywalker could see the worry in his daughter's eyes.

He pulled her into a tight hug, "Sara we don't have time to argue about this, I love you, and I'll see you soon," when he let her go Han grabbed Sara's arm and pulling her up the ramp, Sara didn't even notice Han, instead her eyes were locked on Luke leaving the docking bay, lost in the chaos of the invasion.

Sara wanted to run after him, beg him not to leave her like she did when she was a child, but she was not a child anymore.

After they took off and were headed into the blackness of out space, Sara joined Han and Leia in the cockpit, she took the seat behind the pilot seat, placing herself behind Han, Leia was in the co-pilot seat scrolling through navigational charts.

The battle Sara watched out of the view port was more intense then what she saw out her bedroom window earlier, fighters were like a swarm of mosquito's flying over the swamps of Dagobah, ships were getting shot and bursting into flames like fireworks.

"You better strap in Kid, it's going to be a bumpy ride," Han told Sara as he flew through the mess of ships.

The _Falcon_ dodged and swerved blaster shots and other ships as Han Flew through the chaos, "how are those quadrants coming sweetheart?" he asked his wife.

"Almost there," she answered while continued to push buttons on the navigation computer.

Sara grabbed the sides of her seat when the _Falcon_ shook suddenly making the cabin lights flicker on and off and loud alarm sounded adding to the commotion.

"We're hit!" Leia spun to another computer screen to see the damage.

Han glanced over at her quickly, "how bad?"

"Not too bad, but if they hit us again we are in trouble." Leia summarized from the damage report.

"I could use some help here!" Han spoke into an open channel on the communication board.

"We're on it!" The familiar voice of Luke Skywalker crackled through the cockpit, making Sara's heart fill with relief knowing that her father and his squad was nearby.

"It's about time you showed up," Han teased his long time friend.

Luke's x-wing shot across the blackness of space, dodging and shooting, it only took a manner of seconds for him to focus on the ship that carried his closest friends and family, but was deterred when… finally…Luke and his squad fired three shadow bombs at the Yuuzhan Vong ship that was trailing the _Falcon_ and it blew up into small pieces.

"You're all clear. I'll see you soon," Luke assured them.

"Thanks Buddy!" Relief filled Hans voice. "We'll see ya when we see ya!" Han pushed the hyperspace button and the _Falcon_ blinked out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Darth Themus sat on his throne, enjoying the silence in his temple on Korriban. It was early, and the sun slowly stared to peek into the windows, filling the grand room with dimness. He sat in the room meditating, concentrating on the dark side of the force and all that it had to show him. His silence was interrupted when his comlink went off. "What?" he barked in the device, annoyed by the interruption.

"Master," the sound of his apprentice Darth Zom came out of the com urgently. "I have bad news. The Yuuzhan Vong has taken over Coruscant. It is chaos here."

Themus sat up strait in his chair at the sound of his plan crumbling before his eyes. "Where is the key?" he asked, frustrated.

"I didn't have a chance, she sent him to the Jedi academy. When the Yuuzhan Vong invaded I almost had her, but Skywalker showed up and took the girl off planet. I was not able to follow."

Darth Themus was filled with anger. He wanted to hurl something across the room but there was nothing close by to do so. "You have failed me" he spoke through his teeth. There was silence on the other end of the com, as the Sith master thought of his next move. He needs that key to overtake the Jedi, and now the Yuuzhan Vong had the information and they wouldn't even know it. They would destroy it, thinking that it was an abomination. Now the top priority was to protect the information. "Stay on Coruscant!" he ordered. "Protect the information at all cost. I will come for you when I need you."

"Yes, Master," Zom's voice spoke willing through the com one last time before Themus shut off his comlink off. The Sith lord set his comlink on the arm of the chair as calmly as he could, before he balled up his fist and smashed it into the comlink. Then he went back to enjoying his silence.

* * *

Sara had been woken up by her father, who was rummaging for something in a box near the cot where she slept. It took a minute to remember where she was before she recalled that Jacen and the rest of the strike team had been gone for weeks on their mission to Myrkr. Lots had changed since the team left. The Jedi were no longer on Coruscant; the Yuuzhan Vong had taken their home from them. Sara and her family had been the few that made it off the planet safely. All the refuges were sent to Hapes for the time being.

"They're back!" Mara burst threw the brown flaps of the tent they were staying in. Sara sat strait up staring at Mara's announcement, wondering what she was talking about. "The strike team is back." Mara was gone before anyone could say anything.

Sara got a big smile on her face. She looked at her father and bolted out of the tent to follow Mara, and Luke followed close behind his daughter.

They followed Mara to where the _Millennium Falcon_ was docked. Sara's happiness faded a bit when she noticed all the sad faces walking down the ramp of the ship. Sara grabbed her father's hand and squeezed it hard in anticipation of seeing Jacen, but she couldn't see him or anyone from his family. She desperately wanted to see his face, she had been longing for it since the day he left. She had wanted to hold him close to her, feel his warmth vibrate off of him, to feel his heart beat steadily against hers. She just had to hold out for just a few more minutes.

Finally Jaina emerged from the _Falcon_ with a river of tears was flowing from her face. She paused half way down the ramp and turned to watch hes mother walk out of the ship. Leia was carrying a lifeless body that was wrapped in black fabric. It was too small to be Jacen; it could only be the youngest Solo, Anakin. Sara felt her eyes start to cloud as she remembered the feeling that hit her when Anakin died; everyone had felt it. Leia had been out of it for days and Han had destroyed the office in their apartment. It made Sara worry even more about Jacen.

Anakin's friend Tahiri and Han followed closely behind Leia. The first thing Han did was look at Sara with a face that just said _I'm sorry_. Tears fell from her eyes and her heart sank into her stomach as she read the older man's face. His eyes told her everything. Jacen was not going to come out of those door. She didn't want to believe him. Sara started running for the _Falcon_, but her father was trying to hold her back by her hand.

"No!" she screamed as she tried to pull away from her father. But he still had a hold of her arm. "Jacen!" she screamed again. She gave a hard jerk of her arm and finally broke free from her father. She didn't get very far before Mara stepped in front of her and stopped her by wrapping her arms around her. "No…" she cried harder. "I want to see him!"

Sara looked up and saw her father in front of her, trying to calm her down. She couldn't hear anything he was saying to her, nor did she want to hear anything he had to say. Seeing him stand there in front of her flooded with anger. "You promised! You promised he would come home!" she yelled at her father. Hearing this made Mara gather enough strength in the Force and scoop the distraught girl up in his arms. She walked off with her to try and save her husband from the girl's wrath. Sara finally gave up struggling and just started crying on Mara's shoulder.

All Luke could do was just stand there, watching his Wife carry his daughter away. After the two were lost in the crowd and he couldn't see them anymore, Luke notice Jaina standing there, watching the scene Sara had made. Even though she was not showing it, Luke could feel the hurt and anger she was feeling from the death of Anakin and the fact that her twin brother was missing, and from the broken promise she had made to her uncle. He took a step towards his niece to apologize, but Jaina turned away from him not wanting to deal with Luke and made a quick getaway.

* * *

Mara brought Sara back to the small place they had acquired when they first arrived. She left her for a brief minute to call Luke. Sara didn't know what to do with herself. She just stood there feeling lost and over whelmed with grief.

She noticed a bed in the other room and slowly staggered to it and curled up on it. Her world became dark and fuzzy. She heard Mara say something to her, but it was all muffled and slurred together; she couldn't make it out. Finally everything went black.

_"Nora!" Sara's eyes shot open as if that was her name and found herself to be a little girl the age of five sitting in a warm, purple meditation room in the Jedi Temple. Sara looked at the girl in the door way funny. The name Nora was familiar to her. She had been told once that her mother's name was Nora, but she didn't know why this strange girl was calling her Nora._.

"Nora!" Sara looked up and saw a blond hair girl standing in the doorway. "Jedi Skywalker is here and wants us meet in the council room."

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," she said to the girl as Sara realizing that she was in her mothers mind when she was a child. The youngling took her time getting to the council room. She was not happy with Anakin Skywalker for interrupting her meditation. Master Yoda would be upset if he found out.

As she approached the council room in the center tower of the Jedi Temple, a feeling of fear and death consumed her stopping her in her tracks. Nora poked her head around the open door way to see her friend and comrades lying on the floor dead, with the look of terror trapped on their faces. She covered her mouth in disbelief of the horror she saw.

Jedi Skywalker turned and looked at the new arrival at the door. When Nora saw the yellow hatred in his eyes, she turned and ran. Skywalker followed her in a cold, steady stride. Nora ran as hard as she could until her heart could not pump the blood fast enough through her body. Sooner or later she knew she would not be able to out run him; she would have to hide.

The youngling found a big pot that housed a plant with big leaves, perfect for a little girl to hide behind. She sat on the floor between the pot and the wall. She hugged her knees tightly and wished really hard that she did not exist at the moment

* * *

Jaina sat cross-legged on the floor in the cargo hold of the _Falcon_. She was fiddling with an old power converter that had broken years ago, when all that her and her brothers had to worry about was being good apprentices – before the war, before she was the only child left in the Solo family. She concentrated hard on fixing the power converter; it gave her a distraction from reality. Reality was her younger brother dead, her twin captured by the enemy and his presence missing in the Force. Plus, she had broken the promise she had made to her uncle. She didn't want to deal with reality right now, she just wanted to be alone. Her solitude didn't last too long. She felt a presence enter the _Falcon_, a presence she hadn't felt in a while. She set down the power converter and headed for the common room to see why _he_ was there.

She entered the common room and found herself looking at a man dressed in a black flight suit. He was taller than her, with very short black hair and a noticeable scar that started from his brow and faded up in to his hair line. She had met him once before but knew who he was mostly by reputation. He was Jagged Fel.

"What do you want?" she greeted the man who interrupted her solitude.

"Your father said I could find you here." He stared at the sight of Jaina, who was covered in motor oil but still maintained a strict composure.

"You didn't answer my question. What do you want?" She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms to show him how annoyed she was.

Jag thought a moment unsure if he should ask his question but took a stab at it anyway. "I was wondering why you were not with your family as they prepared for your brother's funeral?" Jaina didn't answer him. He knew he had touched a sensitive topic. "Your father asked me to bring you to the funeral. I thought maybe we could go some place to talk afterwards."

"Why do you care?" Jaina fought hard to keep her sorrow hidden from him.

"Because I know what it is like to lose a sibling. I've lost two of them myself in this war." He got no reaction from her. "My brother Davin . . . I was really close to him. I never made it to his funeral and now I regret it." Jag didn't need the Force to notice that her heart was softening. "I think if you don't say your goodbyes to your brother, you'll regret it, too."

Jaina looked at the floor sadly for a minute. She owed it to her brother to be there. He sacrificed his life for the team; he was a hero. She looked up at Jag and whispered in a soft tone much nicer then the coldness she had given him earlier, "Okay, I'll go." Jag gave her a small smile and gestured to the door way to let her lead the way out of the _Falcon_.

* * *

Luke paced back and forth in a small conservatory near the refugee housing. Mara and Sara did not show up to Anakin's funeral and He didn't like not knowing what would happen to her in the distressed state she was in. Mara had told him that a med was with her right now, but that didn't ease his thoughts. He just hoped that she was alright.

"Will you stop it!" his wife scolded him. He had forgotten that she was sitting on a bench near by. She stood up and gently grabbed his arm to make him look her in the eye. "You're making me dizzy!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You need to go see her."

"She will not want to see me." He looked into his wife's warm eyes.

"You don't know that, Luke."

He wanted to believe that his daughter would want to see him, but after her reaction to Jacen not coming home, he doubted it. "You saw how she reacted."

"Yes, but you're her father. She needs you right now wether she wants you or not," she tried convinced her husband.

Luke slowly hissed out a breath. "Okay," he gave in. He kissed his wife and they left to go see his daughter.

When the couple arrived back at the tent, a doctor was examining a book he had brought. "what is going on?" Luke asked as he sadly looked at his daughter curled up in the bed and squeezed his wife's hand.

"Are you the girl's father?" the doctor asked Luke.

"Yes!" He looked at the doctor like he was crazy for asking such a wasteful question. "What's wrong with my daughter?" Luke was getting impatient very fast.

"The best way to explain it is that she is in a comatose state of mind," he started. "She has experienced something traumatic and her brain is having a hard time processing it, so it shut down."

"Is she going to be okay?" He knelt down on the floor next to the bed and rested his hand gently on her head hoping she would come back.

"Physically she will be fine if she can bring herself back mentally," the doctor explained. "Talk to her. That's really all I can tell you." The man shook Luke's hand left the room.

* * *

_Anakin Skywalker came to a stop in the middle of the hallway right next to the potted plant Nora was hiding behind. She tried to be as still and as quiet as possible, but it was hard to do with her heart pounding so loud it was sure to give her location away._

The Jedi Knight looked around and suddenly rested his eyes right at her hiding place. He walked slowly over to the plant and moved the leaves of the plant. Nora froze in fear when she found herself looking into his scary eyes, but he didn't see her. He just let the leaves fall back to place and walked off still, looking for his victim.

Relief came over Nora. She was not going to die at the hands of Anakin Skywalker. She sat there behind the plant, not wanting to move. Somehow this plant had hidden her from him. She didn't understand it; she just knew that if she stayed, she would be safe.

Nora stayed in her hiding spot until the sun started peeking above the horizon. The Temple had stayed quiet for most the night, but now she heard footsteps coming closer to her. Nora held her breath, hoping it wasn't Skywalker coming back for her. The footsteps suddenly stopped right in front of her, but this time the presence was not threatening, it was warm and calming. The leaves that hid her moved and she found herself looking into the gentle eyes of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

* * *

"I know you are busy helping refugees, but You'll look after while we're gone, won't you?" Luke asked Han and Leia as they talked outside the room she rested in. After spending a few weeks on Hapes, the Solo and the Skywalker family had found a place to live on Mon Calamari. Luke and Mara and a team of soldiers were heading back to Coruscant to help set up resistance cells for survivors of the invasion. Luke hated leaving his daughter in the state she was in.

Han nodded his head. "Sure buddy, anything," he tried to reassure his old friend.

"I wish she was awake. I hate leaving her like this."

"She'll be alright," Leia's sweet voice assured him. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow afternoon." Luke looked into the room Sara was in. "I'll stay with her tonight."

Luke walked into Sara's room. It was late and her room was dark. A very bad storm was brewing in the air. Every few minutes a bolt of lightning would light up her room. "Sara," Luke started out. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll be back, I promise. This time I can keep my promise. Mara is coming with me, too." Luke sat on the chair next to the bed and held on to Sara's hand. "I talked to Obi-Wan yesterday. He misses you. He is worried about you. I miss you, too. You should see him, sweetheart; he is getting so big…so is Ben." Luke thought about how much time has passed since this war started, so many things in their lives have changed. Eventually Luke drifted off to sleep in the chair he was sitting in.

* * *

_Master Obi-Wan held out his hand to Nora. Whatever she was doing to hide herself in from Anakin was not hiding her from Master Obi-Wan. Hesitantly she took his hand and he pulled the little girl from her hiding spot. He picked her up and placed her on his hip and Nora wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling the sense of safety in his arms._

With the little girl in his arms, the Jedi Master continued to walk down the hallway. It wasn't long before he turned a corner and came to a dead end. Nora had been to this part of the temple many times. This is where she could work on her home work uninterrupted. Master Obi-Wan set Nora on the floor and raised his hand so it hovered over the bare wall. There was a small rumble that startled Nora as a door size section of the wall moved back from the rest of the wall. Nora was amazed at what she was seeing. She had been there many times and had never seen a crack.

Master Obi-Wan pulled out a glow rod and activated it. He took Nora's hand and the two entered the door way into the dark room. A set of stairs was illuminated by the glow rod Master Obi-Wan held in his hand. Nora stayed close by the Jedi Master as they slowly made their way down the stairs, where she noticed that only one wall was reflecting light. Nora wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and the next step she took was a bad step, causing her to lose her balance. She tried to steady herself with the wall that was not being lit from the glow stick, but there was nothing there to catch her.

Master Obi-Wan quickly spun and caught the little girl. "Careful, young one." He spoke in a soft voice. He set her back on her feet and they continued down the stairs for what seemed like forever to Nora, until they finally reached the bottom where a big stone door sat in the dark. Nora sat looking up at this enormous door, wondering how they were going to get in. Master Obi-Wan gave her the glow stick and let go of her hand then walked towards the door and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Sara all alone in the light.

_BANG!_

A flash of lightning jolted Luke awake. He looked down at Sara, but she was not in her bed. She was standing in the middle of the room, looking out the window of the door that led to the patio. The rain was pouring down and lightening was flashing constantly.

Luke cautiously walked up to her. "Sara, are you okay?" There was no response. He stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Sara?"

_A man came out of the darkness in to the light Nora held in her hand. The face was familiar, looking exactly like Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, but he looked at her with softer eyes and he had shorter hair. He gave her a worried look as if he cared about the girl. She was scared of him, scared that he would hurt her. She thought maybe it really was Anakin Skywalker in disguise and he had followed them down to this dark place. _

Sara's eyes shifted as if to look at Luke.

_The man came in front of her and rested his hands on her arms_.

Sara took a deep breath in with a look of fear in her eyes. She let out a horrifying scream.

_A look of fear was in Nora's eyes. She let out a horrifying scream. "Master Obi-Wan, help me!" she cried out._

"Master Obi-Wan, help me!" Sara cried out. She didn't recognize her father. She tried to push away from him.

_Nora struggled against Jedi Skywalker. Words came out of his mouth, but they were all muffled and Nora couldn't understand him. Two more people came out of the dark, a man and a woman she had never seen before, but they stopped a distance from where she was and talked to the man holding her. They allowed a distraction so she could free herself from Skywalker's grasp. She backed herself in to the stairs and sank down on them. She held her knees wondering what they were going to do to her. _

"Sara, it's me, you father," Luke pleaded with her, trying to hang on to her. Han and Leia stormed into the room, ready for a fight. Sara looked at them and didn't recognize them either. She broke loose from Luke and backed herself into a corner. She slid down the wall and hugged her knees.

"What happened?" Han asked.

"I don't know, it's like she doesn't recognize me." Luke sounded helpless. Sara buried her face in her knees to hide her face. "Why don't you guys go back to bed; I'll call you if I need you." After Han and Leia left, Luke sat against the wall next to Sara. He didn't dare touch her. He didn't even know what to do. He just sat there next to his daughter until he fell asleep.

_Nora saw the two strangers exit back in to the darkness of the room. The man slowly walked next to, Nora and sat next to her on the stairs. She didn't say anything to him. She just waited for the time when Master Obi-Wan would return. As she waited with the man sitting next to her, Nora dozed off to sleep._

The next morning the sun shine filled the room and woke Luke up. He found his daughter curled up next to him, with her head resting on his chest and one of her arms around his waist. Luke smiled knowing his daughter had found way back from the place she was in and was starting to feel better. Now he felt a little better about leaving her behind for his mission to Coruscant.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jaina was in the kitchen, grabbing a bite to eat while she was home alone with Sara. Luke and Mara were on their way home from a mission to Coruscant and her parents were gone for the day on business. They told their daughter to stay home on her day off and keep an eye on Sara, but being around the devastated girl caused Jaina too much pain. Since her twin brother had not come home, Jaina had avoided going to visit the poor girl. The Jedi was so angry with her uncle. She was the only one from her family that had returned after the mission to Myrkr. Her younger brother was killed and Jacen was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong.

She had called Jag immediately after her parents had left, and was waiting for him to pick her up when he was finished up with his work. She had grown a little attached to the handsome pilot since she had returned from Myrkr, giving her strength to hold herself together while others around her were broken. While Jaina was impatiently waiting for him, she was distracted by the pretty sound of a sound synthesizer coming from Sara's room.

Curious Jaina quietly tipped toed over to Sara's room and peeked through the door. Sara was sitting at a sound synthesizer, playing what seemed to Jaina to be a lullaby. The Jedi just sat there listening to her in solitude, not saying a word.

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all of my childish fears  
and if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
Because your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

Finally Jaina couldn't stand to the heart-wrenching song anymore; it was just too sad for her to listen to. Jaina quickly turned away from Sara's room just as Jag entered into the apartment. She walked quickly over to him with a tear streaming down her cheek. Jaina looked straight into his worried green eyes. "Hold me," she whispered to him. Jag engulfed her in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder, and the strong-willed girl broke down and started sobbing.

The couple decided not to out that evening, choosing to sit on the sofa in silence and watch the HoloNet. As she rested her head on Jag's strong shoulder, Jaina didn't pay attention to the story on the net; instead she thought about her brothers. She wondered what type of relationships they would have had as they got older, and if other people had such a close relationship with their siblings like she had with hers. "Jag, are you close to your brothers and sisters?" she broke the silence they were in.

"I was close to my older brother Davin before he died," he answered as he remained focused on the HoloNet.

"What was he like?" she asked curiously.

"He was fun to be around, a flirt," Jag smirked at the thought of his brother flirting with the girls around town. "He always believed in doing the right thing. It didn't matter other people said." He took his eyes from the Net and looked the girl in his arms in the eyes. "That's one of the reasons why I looked up to him so much. My favorite time with him was when we were at the academy. He was a few years older than me and he would sneak me and a few friends of ours off planet to a remote bar on the outer rim that would serve liquor to anybody, it didn't matter your age. We would drink, flirt, and be young kids." Jag's heart warmed from remembering his brother. "We did that every week for year until dad found out. We got into pretty big trouble."

Jaina smiled and laughed to herself. "You, get into trouble? That hardly seems possible," she teased. "How did your father find out?"

Jag went quiet for a minute thinking. Jaina felt the young man torn between something as his mood changed and she could see in his eyes that it hurt him. Slowly he took a deep breath and told her, "I started skipping classes."

"Why?" She was shocked that he would do such a thing.

Jag sighed, "There was a friend who was in trouble, and I was trying to help her."

"Oh," was the only thing Jaina could say after realizing the struggle he was dealing with. "And she didn't want your help?"

"No," Jag whispered and turned his attention back to the HoloNet. The conversation died after that and they were back to enjoying the silence they had earlier.

Jag stayed until Jaina fell asleep. After putting her to bed, he was about to leave the Solos' apartment when the sound of a sound synthesizer playing from Sara's room caught his attention. He stood at the door watching the singer. She was unaware of her audience. The pilot was amazed by the person that was in front of him after not seeing her for years. He had been captivated by her once, along with all the other customers at the tiny bar in the outer rim. He had fallen for her, but she only considered him a friend because there was someone else in her life who had stopped her from loving him back. Jag never could forget the sadness he felt when she walked out of his life.

"Hi, Pink Star," he dryly spoke the nickname he and his buddies would call her when she was singing; she shined on stage then blushed bright pink when they would tell her how wonderful she did.

Startled, the girl whipped around at hearing that name, but relief filled her when she saw the familiar face at her door. "Hey, flyboy," she replied with the name she would call Jag. She jumped out of her chair and stared to run to him, but stopped herself immediately when she remembered that the last time she had seen him, she had broken his heart. She had missed his friendship deeply; he always took good care of her, even when she didn't want him to. Their parting had been unpleasant and she was surprised he would be standing before her. The young man opened his arms slightly to let her know he had put what happened to them behind him. She ran into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I was so worried about you." He looked at her in his arms. "Why did you leave?"

The sad girl looked away from the man; she didn't want to answer his question. "How is your brother, Davin?"

Jag didn't let the question faze him, but inside it hurt that she was avoiding his question. Because of what Jaina told him about how fragile Sara was at this time, he couldn't bear to tell her that Davin had been killed a while ago, along with their friend Syndic. "He is good," he lied to her, not knowing how she would take the truth. He looked her in the eyes and waited to see if she saw through his lie. When she didn't, he asked her again. "Please answer my question. Why did you leave?"

"Jag, I was," she paused searching for words to explain to him why she could never love him. "I was messed up, and your father did not…"

"I didn't care what my father thought," Jag interrupted her. "I was scared that you went back to that slimebag of a boyfriend."

Sara stepped away from Jag with a guilty look on her face. "I did," she spoke softly. "But he wasn't there." She added quickly to defend herself, "I never saw him again." Jag didn't say anything to her, but she could see the rejection in his eyes. "Please, Jag," she walked up to him. "Please know that why I left had nothing to do with you. I told you, my life was messed up; I needed to straighten my mind out." She took a deep breath and told him, "I was pregnant."

Jag's eyes shot open instantly "Mine?" he whispered in shock.

"I was hoping…" She turned away from him. "But I could feel that it wasn't, and when I looked in his little eyes, I knew that it was _his_." She looked as if she were going to cry. "Jag, I'm sorry. I didn't want to put you through that.

Jag silenced her by wrapping his arms around her again in a comforting hug. "I'm just glad that you are alright."

* * *

Jacen was lying on the ground, staring up into the darkness that was surrounding him. He just lay there, not knowing where he was or how he got there, feeling numb. He couldn't even feel the force surrounding him. The mission to Myrkr was complete, but with disastrous consequences. The voxyn queen was dead, but his sister was consumed with darkness. His brother's life was gone; he was gone. He wondered if this was another trick that the Yuuzhan Vong were doing to try and break him.

Slowly the Jedi sat up and got to his feet, noticing that he was not alone. A very dim light illuminated two other people a few yards away from him. One, a girl, was lying on the ground, and she looked like there was no life in her. She was being cradled in the arms of the other person, who knelt on the ground next to her, wearing a long Jedi a robe with the hood covering his face. He slowly walked toward the couple, his footsteps echoing throughout the room.

As he got closer, Jacen realized that he knew the girl lying limp in the other's arms. A horrible feeling crawled up in Jacen's throat as he got closer. His vision slowly started to blur from the tears creeping into his eyes. The Jedi struggled to keep his composure as he stared at the girl he loved lying there dead. "What happened to her?" he softly asked the person holding her as he swallowed hard.

Jacen got no response. He had a feeling he just knew in his gut that this person hurt Sara. "What did you do to her?" he demanded to know.

"I didn't do anything to her," a harsh raspy whisper filled the room around the Jedi.

"Who did this?" He spoke through his teeth as anger filled his heart at the thought of someone killing the one he loved.

The person turned and removed his hood and Jacen wound up staring into sickly yellow eyes of himself. "You did."

* * *

Jacen's eyes shot open at the strange dream. He took a deep breath, inhaling dust, which caused him to choke and cough. He realized he was lying face down in the rubble dirt from the Old Jedi Temple on Coruscant. His body ached and his head throbbed, and he had no idea how he had gotten there and this was the first time he had woken up not in the Yuuzhan Vongs' custody. He heard someone rummaging through some of the rubble.

Jacen slowly rolled over onto his back and was blinded when someone shined a glow stick in his face. "Are you alive?" he heard the same raspy male's voice from his dream. Jacen held up his hand to block the sudden brightness that had been thrust at him. Before he could answer the stranger's question, the raspy voice spoke again. "Don't worry; they haven't been here for hours."

"Who?" Jacen squinted so he could try and see who was talking to him as he coughed more dust out from his lungs.

"The Yuuzhan Vong," the man answered his question.

"Why did they leave me here?" Jacen was confused about what was going on.

"Because I made them." The stranger's voice sounded very cold.

"What?"

"I have done everything possible to protect what is hidden here. When I saw that they had you, I killed them." Jacen was uneasy by how the man spoke about killing someone like it was a household chore. The stranger removed the light from Jacen's face, finally letting the Jedi see his face.

Jacen racked his brain on where he saw the familiar, pale face with dark, stringy hair before, but nothing rang a bell. He was still a stranger to Jacen. "Do I know you?" Jacen asked the man.

"No," he spoke casually, and then he gave him an evil grin. "But I know all about you, Jacen Solo."

The Jedi's body tensed when he realized that the man who had freed him from the Yuuzhan Vong might be holding him hostage. Jacen reached out in the Force to see if he could feel the man, but he couldn't feel him; he couldn't even feel the Force. It made him sick to his stomach; it felt like a big part of him was missing. The pale man started to chuckle at him. "Don't bother, Solo. I have stripped the Force from you, hidden us from other people," the man spoke menacingly.

"What do you want from me?" the Jedi asked cautiously.

"The Key."

Jacen was surprised by his answer. He was beginning to think that this man was crazy. "What Key?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you?" The man frowned at the Jedi on the ground. "You'll just steal it." Now Jacen knew the man was crazy, probably from being left on Coruscant alone to defend himself. The man slowly turned and started to pace in front of Jacen. "Tell me, Solo, do you find yourself easily losing your temper?"

"What does that have to do with your key?" Jacen got to his feet quickly.

"Beware, Solo, you are not the one who is chosen to protect the girl," the crazy man continued to ramble on, leaving Jacen lost in the conversation. "Only one can protect the Key at a time. Others will be driven by obsession from the power she has."

"Are you talking about Sara?" Jacen asked, wondering if she was the girl the man was talking about. The crazy man gave the Jedi a smile like he got some sick joy from hearing her name. "You leave her alone," Jacen demanded after seeing his reaction.

"I'm not the one you should worry about." He started to chuckle at Jacen's statement.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to your crazy talk." The young man was fed up with all the nonsense and started to find his way out of the building.

"You should listen to your dream."

Jacen stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and walked furiously up to the crazy man, backing him up into a wall. "Are you reading my mind?" Jacen's voice was anything but calm after finding out his thoughts were being manipulated by someone else. "How do I know you didn't fabricate the whole thing?" When the man didn't respond to him, he added, "Nothing is going to happen to her. Not over my dead body." The man started laughing hysterically at Jacen's threatening tone. The Jedi turned away and made his way through the rubble of the Old Jedi Temple so he could find a way home. He left the man there and made a promise to himself that he would do anything to protect Sara and Obi-Wan.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Luke overheard Sara talking to someone in her bedroom as he sat outside his adopted daughter's room with his ear pressed against the door. He and his wife had returned from Coruscant a few days ago. They'd had great success in setting up four resistant cells. After returning, he'd noticed Sara acting a little strange. Every so often he would hear her talking to someone, and when he would walk in the room, she would act as if there was no one there. This time Luke would figure out who it was she was talking to.

"What are you doing?" Mara's voice startled Luke as she snuck up behind her husband. "Are you spying on your daughter?"

"No!" he answered defensively as he looked into the eyes of his beautiful wife and knew she saw right through him. "Yes. She is talking to someone and I don't know who."

"Oh." She saw the worry in her husband's eyes. "Have you heard from Han or Leia?" Mara asked him.

"Yes, Leia said they just arrived at the first resistance cell we set up. She said that they found another spot that would be perfect to set up another one." He pulled his wife into his arms.

"That's wonderful." Mara slowly leaned in close to gently kiss the man she loved.

"Why are you doing this?" Sara's voice echoed through the door interrupting their moment.

Luke pulled away from Mara and looked at her with torn eyes. "I should go see if she is alright." Luke kissed her softly on her lips, turned and punched the panel to open the door to Sara's room. "Sara?" he poked into her room. She wasn't there.

"Please just leave me alone," her voice pleaded from the patio outside. At first Luke thought she was talking to him.

"Sara, I'm not going to-"

"Please, you're not real; just go." She almost started crying.

Luke was very confused as he made his way quietly to the patio door. There she stood, looking out at the body of water in front of their Mon Calamari apartment. There was no one near that she could be talking to. "Sara, who are you talking to?"

His voice made her jump as she whipped around. She looked around the patio and didn't find anyone but her father standing at the door. Sara closed her eyes and looked to the floor. "No one," she whispered dryly.

"But I heard you talking to someone," Luke persisted.

Sara tried to hold her composure so he wouldn't think that she was crazy, but started to get really upset. "No, I wasn't talking to anyone." She mumbled as she brushed past her father and stormed back inside. Luke could see the tears roll down her face.

"Who is not real, Sara?" Luke followed her in to the room. His daughter refused to answer his question. She just stood there quietly crying, refusing to answer his question. "You see Jacen, don't you?" he took a stab at the idea. Sara slowly nodded her head.

"He won't leave me alone," she whispered through her tears and looked at him with watery eyes. "I'm not crazy, Daddy." She broke down. "I see him as clearly as I see you, and it hurts so much every time I see him. It's such a disappointment when I realize that it's not really him." Luke walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her to bring her comfort.

"I know you miss him." Sara started sobbing in his arms. "I miss him, too." All Luke could do was hold on to his daughter while she cried.

* * *

Jacen roamed around what used to be the underskirts of Coruscant, but the Yuuzhan Vong had destroyed almost everything, turning the buildings into organic materials. He headed west, for no reason he could think of; he just needed to keep moving so he could find a way off this planet and find his family and make it back to the girl he loved. He walked for what seemed like days, trapping food when he needed it and taking shelter when needed.

A light rain had filled his journey for three days now; it was chilly, but it didn't bother him. The cold seemed very minimal compared to what the Yuuzhan Vong put him through. The wandering man stumbled upon another man, who built a shelter that housed the man, his wife and their little boy. The boy reminded Jacen a little bit of Obi-Wan, except this boy was a bit shyer. The family had managed to keep a fire going during the rain fall and Jacen wondered if they would let a stranger warm themselves by their fire. He approached them in a non-threatening manner, which was hard to do because he still did not have the Force to help him. "Can I join you by the fire? I have food." Jacen pulled out a piece of died meat he caught a few days ago.

"Sure," the man moved to open a spot for Jacen to join them. The Jedi walked over to the family and handed the man the food he offered. The man broke pieces off and handed them to his wife and son who sat quietly eating the food. "How long have you been down here?" the man asked the Jedi.

"I don't know' feels like weeks." Jacen hovered his hands over the fire to warm them up from the wet weather. "What about you?" he asked out of politeness.

"We have been down here since the invasion. We've been pretty lucky. We are too far down, so the Vong don't waste their time trying to find us." The man seemed very friendly and talkative. "Have you found a resistance cell yet?" the man asked.

Jacen had no idea what the man was talking about. "What is a resistance cell?" He rubbed his hands together to get more blood circulation in his finger tips.

"Rumor has it that a few Jedi came back and set up a few resistance cells to provide shelter from The Yuuzhan Vong and possibly a way off this planet," the man explained.

Jacen's eyes perked up a bit along, with his hope of getting out of here. "And you don't know where one is?"

"Sadly, no. We have lasted so long here; why chance leaving?" the man put his arm around his wife to reassure the frightened woman that they were safe. "It's a hard life, but we have made it work."

Jacen watched the dancing flames of the fire that was in front of him and listen to the man talking about their survival. Until the man said something out of context. "You have the key!" Jacen looked up at the man and found that the crazy man who had freed him from the Yuuzhan Vong was standing right in front of him. Jacen jumped back and tripped over a rock and fell to the ground as his heart raced from the illusion he was seeing.

"I want the key!" Jacen looked at the wife and saw the same pale face looking at him.

"No!" Jacen huffed at them and tried to back away.

"Beware of its power!" This time the crazy man's voice came from the boy.

"Get out of my head!" Jacen yelled at the family and scrambled to his feet. When he stood and faced the family again, their faces were back to normal and the man was pointing a blaster at the Jedi.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

Jacen calmed down a bit at the sight of them being back to normal. "yeah, I'm fine."

"I think you better leave," the man suggested.

Jacen looked at the man's wife, who had her arms wrapped around her son to protect him, and he saw the terror in their faces. The Jedi agreed with the man and slowly turned and walked away from temporary kindness the family had offered.

As Jacen continued walking, a flash of light streaked across the sky when a ship entered the atmosphere. As the ship swooped back to look for its landing spot, Jacen was able to get a clear look at it and noticed that it had a disk-like appearance, all too similar to his father's YT-1300 ship. He wondered if it really was his parents as he tried to reach out to them, but the Force was still not there. The crazy man that had rescued him from the Yuuzhan Vong still was blocking it from him and putting illusions in his head, so there was no way of knowing if it was them or not unless he tracked down the ship that flew overhead himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jacen staggered up and down hill after hill to where he saw the YT-1300 heading. He wondered how long it would take to find the ship as he made his way through the poring rain. He ran so long and so fast that he didn't know how much further he would make it. He slowly reached the top of a hill that had the biggest incline he had encountered, to find himself looking at the most glorious sight he had see in long time. It was indeed the _Millennium Falcon_ sitting there in front of him as if it were saying, "I have been waiting for you!"

Jacen stopped at the top of the hill and absorbed the magnificent sight of being back with the people he loved when he saw a lone Yuuzhan Vong inspecting the hull of the ship in the rain. He looked around to see if he could see any other Yuuzhan Vong around but it appeared that the alien was by himself. He worried that his parents were in trouble, that they were trapped inside.

As Jacen watched closely, he noticed something odd. The alien walked around the _Falcon_ as if he knew the ship well. His posture and movements were all too familiar. The Vong passed under one of the legs of the Falcon and a shimmer of his father appeared before him. In a blink of an eye, the image of his father was gone. Jacen rubbed his eyes with his fingers to make sure he was seeing okay. He opened his eyes again and he still saw the alien inspecting the ship in the rain.

Jacen looked around his surroundings for something he could use as a weapon. He had to protect his parents; he had to go home. He couldn't let the Yuuzhan Vong take them captive and torture them like they had to him. He tried to reach out to his mother, to warn her that there was trouble outside, but still there was no Force. He cursed the crazy man for blocking him from it. The Jedi grabbed a broken pipe he could use as club and slowly crept his way down toward the _Falcon_.

Luke knocked on Sara's door and entered after getting no response. He found his daughter standing on the patio, looking out at the flowing water. She had spent a lot of time out there recently. He hated seeing his daughter so sad, it made his heart ache. He felt a cool breeze as he walked out to her and rested his elbows agents the railing next to her. "Have you seen him today?" he asked gently.

Fighting back her tears she nodded. "Why does he do this to me?" she asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe because, you love him so much that you are having a hard time letting him go." He wanted to give her an answer that would comfort her, one that would help put her mind at ease.

Sara didn't respond. The girl just watched the sun slowly being swallowed by the water.

"Why don't we go inside? It's kind of cold out here?" he wrapped his arm around his daughter as they headed inside. "I hope you don't mind, but I ran into an old friend of yours the other day. I asked him to come and see you. Are you up for a visitor today? I thought it might help you feel better."

"Yeah sure, I guess I am," Sara said, not really caring if she had one or not, as her father went to the bedroom door to let the guest in.

She froze when a very handsome, dark long-haired person walked into the room. He was someone that Sara was not expecting at all. When she was a little girl she had memorized every sharp feature of his face. His warm brown eyes had brought her comfort many times when she was younger and yet their friendship had shattered into pieces. Her father had put him in charge of protecting her and he failed at doing his duty. She had not seen him since the day she ran away and wasn't even sure she wanted to see him at all.

"Hi Sara," he said awkwardly.

"Hi, Kyp." Sara was unsure how to react to the older man she had fallen in love with long ago when she was young.

After a moment of awkward silence Luke spoke up. "I think I'll let you two catch up." And he left the room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly after her father left. She crossed her arms and nervously started to play with her sleeves of her robe.

"Your father asked me to come," he spoke softly to her.

"I know he asked you to come, but why did you come?" Sara grew terse with him, wanting to get this encounter over with.

"I came to apologize, Sara." She just stood there. "I know you probably hate me. I don't blame you. I should have never treated you the way that I did." Sara closed her eyes absorbing everything he said and tried not to remember the last few months they had spent together. She wanted to correct him, chew him out, make him hurt the way he hurt her, but Sara bit her tongue. "I know I drove you to run away." Kyp continued. "It's my fault, you should have only been there a year. I'm sorry it all happened. I was…" Kyp paused for a moment. He couldn't find the right words.

"Grotty," Sara broke in angrily after she couldn't hold back anymore. "A bishwag, a sithspawn, you've got your pick."

The old friend saw how angry she was with him. "Yeah, I was all of those, if not more," he spoke softly as the room became quiet again.

"What are you looking for Kyp? If you're looking for forgiveness, I'm not ready to give that to you," she spoke bluntly.

"I understand," Kyp nodded. "You have a lot to deal with."

"You have no idea," Sara whispered under her breath.

"Your father said you were sick."

He was wrong, Sara wasn't sick, she was just heartbroken from losing Jacen.

"I know you love him." Sara closed her eyes to hold back her tears. "You deserve someone like Jacen. I hope we find him." This struck Sara hard. She covered her face to hide that fact that she couldn't fight her tears anymore.

Kyp walked over to her and gently rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. When she didn't pull away from him he slowly pulled her in close to him and wrapped her in his arms. Sara didn't resist. It was a childhood comfort she had not felt in a long time. He just stood there holding her as she cried like he did when she was just a child and was heartbroken because her daddy had to leave her behind.

"Well that was a fun landing," the sarcasticness in her voice made Han roll his eyes. He had brought the Falcon down in a rugged area of Coruscant where they had planned to set up a resistant cell. He had over shot the planned landing spot by 200 meters.

"I felt that this was a more appropriate spot to land her." Han came back at his wife with his cocky grin.

Leia smiled at her husband then looked out the viewport of the _Falcon_ at the terrain that they had once called home. Sadness filled her heart as she could not recognize her home anymore.

As Han unbuckled his safety belt he could see on her face that something was not right. A small panic made his heart jump when his daughter Jaina came to mind. "Is Jaina ok?" he didn't hesitate to ask.

Leia looked at her husband curiously. "Yeah, why?"

"You had that look on your face," relived to hear that his only surviving child was ok. "What's wrong then?"

"I was just wondering what we are doing here?" the women vented. "We should be at home with Jaina. Let other people deal with the war."

"But sweetheart, we always get involved. It's just the way we work."

"I Know," Leia sighed. "I'm just tired of putting out lives in danger all the time."

"We can't let the kids have all the fun," he joked with his wife.

"And look where it has gotten them," the mother was filled with dismal while she missed her boys who lives had been taken from her by the Yuuzhan Vong when they volunteered to undergo a deathly mission to save a lot of lives.

"I didn't mean it like that," Han immediately felt guilty for his comment. He rested a comforting hand on his wife shoulder and she reached up and rested her hand on his. He looked her deeply in the eyes. "We will make it through this, together."

His comment filled Leia with a little hope as she got out of the copilot's seat. "I better start scanning the terrain. Make sure we didn't land ourselves in any trouble."

The Pilot watched his wife walk over to the scanners with a grin. He felt so lucky to have a wonderful wife. "I better go and check out the damage to the _Falcon_. See if there is anything serious," he slowly walked out of the cockpit thinking about what Leia had told him.

Leia checked on the results of the scan she just did and found that there was someone out side heading for them. She looked at the View port to see if she could see the threat. She scanned the horizon and found stillness until a movement from a broken foundation of a building caught her eye. She watched a man dash from hiding spot to hiding spot, slowly making his way down to the _Falcon_. The young man looked familiar- he looked like her eldest son, Jacen, and he was ready for an attack. She found it odd that she could not feel his presence.

"Leia, how are those scans…" Han yelled from the bottom of the boarding ramp and was interrupted when his wife brushed past him leaving the _Falcon_ in a hurry. "Where are you going?" he yelled after her as he followed close behind her.

"I think it's Jacen," was all that Han could make out with the sound of the rain hitting the duralloy plating of the _Falcon_. The mother ran to where she saw the young man she thought was her son when a twinge in the Force told her to duck.

Darth Zom sat in the rubble of the Old Jedi Temple in front of the door he protected. He was calm as he focused all his energy on the Jedi he had had in his custody, but who was now roaming Coruscant. He put the man in a bubble that blocked out the Force around the Jedi and put illusions in his head. He wanted to make it difficult for the Jedi, so he would come crawling back to the Sith. And when the Jedi would came crawling back, he would offer the Force back to him in exchange for the Key. Zom would take the Key and use her power to strike down all the remaining Jedi, and then his master, who was a fool and blinded by power and was after the wrong key, would be dead. Then he would be the master; he would rule the galaxy.

Zom's concentration was interrupted by a loud thudding noise from a hover ship that shined a big spotlight over him as he felt the presence of his master arrive. "Darth Zom! Stop playing games!" he yelled at his apprentice. "I have a plan to get the child." Themis spoke coldly to his apprentice. Zom followed his instructions willingly even though it angered him that his plan would not work now that he was leaving the planet. The Sith relinquished his hold on Jacen as he got up and headed up the boarding ramp.

Jacen jumped out from a pile of rubble and swung his club at the female Yuuzhan Vong who had emerged from the _Falcon_ and was heading his direction, but the Vong ducked as if she knew that it was coming. The Jedi looked over his shoulder and saw her male companion trying to grab the club from his hand but threw his elbow into the alien's gut knocking his foe back a few steps.

Jacen wound up his broken pipe to swing at the male Vong, but assailant put a hand up to guard himself. "Jacen wait!"

The sound of the Yuuzhan Vong's voice stopped Jacen in his tracks. He knew that voice! He heard it countless times growing up. The Jedi's vision started to blur and the image of his father took the place of the Yuuzhan Vong. "Dad?" He could barely get the word out before he was struggling to breathe as the Force came rushing back to him like a tsunami. The sensation was so overwhelmingly powerful and his body was so worn out that he left all consciousness behind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

Luke waited patiently for a ship to arrive at the transport station. Finally he got the docking bay number for the ship he was waiting for. When he arrived at the docking bay, the boarding ramp slowly opened and Obi-Wan ran out of the _Jade Shadow_ and into Luke's arms.

"I've missed you." Luke gave his grandson a big hug.

"I've missed you too. Where is Mommy?" the boy asked eagerly.

"She is at home. She is not feeling so well today, but I think when she sees you she will start to feel a lot better." Obi-Wan smiled and kicked his legs in the air in excitement as his grandfather held him. Luke looked up and saw a red haired woman holding a toddler in her arms. Luke leaned in and kissed his wife. "He has gotten so big," he smiled at her.

"He has, hasn't he?" They both gazed at Ben, who was giggling from all the attention he was getting from his parents.

"How was the flight?" he asked his wife as he watched his son grab his index finger.

"It was fine. The kids slept the majority of the way," she explained. "There was something kind of funny going on before we left. I noticed a ship following us. I hailed it but there was no answer, and it didn't follow us into Hyperspace."

"That is odd." Luke racked his brain for who it could be. Not many people knew where the Jedi Academy had moved to after the Yuuzhan Vong invaded Yavin. "Did you sense anything in the Force?"

"Caution. Nothing bad and nothing good, just caution."

"I'll give Kam a call when we get home to see if he knows anything," Luke reassured his wife, but before he could continue, a buzzing from Luke's comlink went off. "This is Luke," he answered the device with his free hand.

"Hey kid," Han's voice jumped out of the comlink.

Luke's face turned red as he rolled his eyes from the old nickname. "I wish you would stop calling me that."

"Maybe when you're as old as I am," Han joked. He was obviously in a good mood.

"You're back early. Your mission to Coruscant must have gone well."

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could pick us up." There was a short pause before Han spoke his next few words. "We have a surprise."

Luke looked at Mara; they were both curious to what this surprise was. "Sure, where are you?"

"Docking bay 341"

"We'll be there in a sec. I just picked up Mara, Ben and Obi-Wan. We are just a few docking bays away."

Mara stayed behind with Ben at the _Jade Shadow_ to finish locking her ship down while Luke and Obi-Wan quickly made their way through the crowd until they arrived at Docking 341 just in time to see the ramp to the _Falcon_ lowered. They both waited in anticipation to see that the first person that came out was not Han or Leia but…

"Jacen!" Obi-Wan yelled and squirmed out of Luke's arms and ran into Jacen's arms.

"Hey, squirt!" The man scooped the boy up in a big hug. "You have gotten so big. I've missed you so much."

"Mommy is going to feel a lot better when she sees you!" the boy repeated the words his grandfather spoke to him. "Can I tell Mommy that you're home?"

"We'll think of some way to tell her." Jacen smiled at Obi-Wan. He couldn't take his eyes from the child he considered his own. "So Mommy hasn't been feeling well?" he asked Obi-Wan as he gave his uncle a concerned look.

"Mommy has been sick for a while. I think she misses us," the boy gave his own conclusion.

"Sara has had a hard time dealing with your disappearance." Luke gave Jacen the real answer to why Sara was sick as he gave his nephew a hug relived to see the young man home safely. "She might have a hard time accepting that you are back. Let me know if you need help."

Near the Maw cluster, a sleek ship hung in the blackness of space after the _Jade Shadow_ jumped into hyperspace. The smaller ship had been trailing the larger ship after it had left the suspected location of the Jedi Academy. There was a clanking of footsteps as Zom stormed into the cockpit of their transport ship, furious with his master. "You let them get away!"

Darth Themis turned in his seat and looked at his apprentice. "Calm yourself, Zom. They boy will be back." The master stared at his apprentice in disappointment.

"But we had our chance. Skywalker was not with him; we could have gotten him," he argued.

The Sith master sighed. "You have obviously not done your research on Skywalker's mate. She can be just as lethal as he is." He degraded his apprentice. "When will you learn patience? The Sith waited for nearly a thousand years before revealing their prescences to the Jedi. We can wait a few more days for the boy to return, and we will have our chance to obtain him."

"What if they spot us?"

"I thought I taught you a thing or two about cloaking our presence in the Force," Themis humbled the younger Sith.

Zom turned and marched out of the cockpit in annoyance with his master. He didn't need patience, he needed the Key and his master was preventing him from getting it. The young Sith paced back and forth in the common room, thinking he should just take control of the situation and slay Themis. Zom unhooked his lightsaber from his belt and held it tightly in his grasp. He froze in doubt about what he was planning on doing, but quickly brushed his doubt aside, brought his weapon to life and marched for the door, and stopped himself when reason came to mind. He remembered that there was still a lot he needed to learn from the Zabrak, and he could not take Skywalker alone. He would need the help of Darth Themis.

The apprentice extinguished his crimson blade and hooked it back on his belt. Smashing his fist against the door he came to the conclusion that his master was right, he did need to learn patience.

Sitting in her X-wing wearing her orange flight suit was comforting for Jaina Solo, while outside there was chaos from laser fire and screeching engines and explosions. She stretched out her Force senses and felt her two comrades next to her, Jagged Fel in his Nssis-class Clawcraft on one side of her and Kyp Durron in his X-wing on the other side. Luke had given her the command of the Twin Sun squadron a while back, and now they were preparing for battle.

"Four coralskippers coming in on port side," Jag's voice jumped from the com in her helmet.

"Shields up!" Jaina ordered as she looked at her sensor board and saw the flashing red lights came her way and activated her own deflector shields.

"They're coming in fast!" Kyp's voice shouted. "I suggest breaking formation. It's three against four; they have us out numbered."

"Denied," Jaina commed back to her wing mate. "Stay in formation."

With Jaina in the lead, the two X-wings and the Clawcraft swung around to meet the incoming coralskippers. Jaina fired her lasers just before they were to pass but the skips dodged the fire by splitting off in two groups going on each side of her squad. The Jedi pilot pulled her squad up and turned it around to pursue the enemy as quickly as possible. She jerked and jinxed agents the oncoming fire as they had the same thought and came back at her.

They passed the skips again and a shot from Jag's Clawcraft hit one of the enemy's crafts square on, blasting it into pieces.

"Nice shot!" Jaina congratulated the pilot and was about to turn back to take on the other skips when panic sunk in. The enemy caught up to them and were now on her squad's tail. Now was her chance to practice a new move she had seen an old comrade do a few years back. She lined up her X-wing and was about to give the order to reverse when Kyp broke formation and dived his X-wing in to a cross fire taking one of the Skips with him. "Stag," she vented in frustration. Thinking quickly the only chance now was to break formation. "Twin Sun Three, break off."

She watched Jag take off in a clime, spinning his ship to dodge the fire of the skip that followed with him. The coralskipper was hot on his tail as he jerked from side to side, trying to shake off his pursuer, but he was no match for this particular enemy fighter. Plasma blast hit his deflector shield, leaving him wide open for fire. The next shot that came at him hit a control jet sending Jag spinning out of sight. Jaina looked at her sensor board, and it showed her comrade going EV.

Jaina didn't have time to worry about her fellow pilot; she was being tagged by a coralskipper as well. She rolled her X-wing around as a blast came across the nose of her ship. The Jedi pilot tried every trick in the book to shack this guy off her tail, but he was sticking to her like glue. "I can't get him off me," she tried to keep her voice clam as a plasma blast grazed her weakening her deflector shield.

"I'm on my way." Kyp's voice crackled through her speaker, but it was too late; a blast hit her directly.

Jaina watched all the lights in her cabin turn off, except for a message on her display screen that read: Leader Destroyed. Simulation Over.

Jaina closed her eyes trying to calm the rising frustration from the failed training simulation. As soon as the hatch to her ship was open the Jedi jumped down and quickly march over to Kyp's X-wing. "What do you think you are doing? I told you to stay in formation," she spoke forcefully.

"I was doing what I thought was right. We were sitting wamp rats out there," he explained calmly.

"I had everything under control. I was about to give orders when you broke off and managed to get Jag shot down and myself killed." Jaina really let Kyp have it. "You said you could take orders from me when you joined this squad."

"Then communicate with your squad that you have something up your sleeve," the older Jedi advised forcefully.

"This isn't your squad, Kyp. I'm in charge, so don't advise me on how to run it. Get back into your X-wing; we are going for another round," she ordered, then turned and walked back to her own X-wing as Jag walked up to her to see what was going on. "We are going for another round," she pointed him back to his ship.

"I know, but don't you think we have had enough training for one day," he spoke as calmly as possible.

Her fierce eyes met his and she remembered she was not angry with Jag, just Kyp, so she forced herself to calm down. "No I don't. How are we going to win the war if we don't train?"

"How are we going to win if we are too tired to fight?" he reasoned with her.

The Twin Sun's leader sighed; he was right, deep down she knew they couldn't train all the time, but she just wanted to stay on top of her game so no one else would lose a family member like she had lost her brothers. "One more round, then I promise we can stop," she bargained.

"Deal." The Chiss pilot held out his hand to make the promise final.

Jaina looked into his eyes with a half smile, placing her hand in his. She did not know how she would have made it this far without him.

As she heard a swoosh of the bedroom door, Sara turned from the window she was staring out to see her son running through her bedroom door.

"Mommy!" exclaimed as he ran to her.

"My baby! I've missed you so much." She knelt down to engulfed her son into her arms and hug him fiercely.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his mother.

"Better now that you are in my arms." She hugged him again

"Mommy, you want to hear something that will really make you feel better?" Sara looked into the eyes of her son and saw joy jumping from them. "When Grandpa picked us up, we found someone." Obi-Wan was very excited.

"What are you talking about, baby?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone walk into her room, causing her to look up from her son. She saw him, the person that had been haunting her for the past month. She grew angry, not at him but at herself for not being able to stop this hallucination. She focused her attention back to her son. "Obi-Wan, can you please go and help Mara with dinner?"

"Okay." Obi-Wan trotted out of the room. Jacen watched him run past him. When he was out the door, Jacen turned and looked at the girl he loved with a smile on his face that stretched ear to ear. Sara turned away from the Jedi Knight; she did not want to see him.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone. And now you bring my son in on this illusion." She looked him square in the eye. "Please leave me and my family alone." Sara left the room and went out onto the patio. The smile left Jacen's face as he followed her out to the patio. There he saw the girl he loved standing agents the railing looking over the edge. He slowly came up behind her.

"It's me, Sara, I'm home," he whispered into her ear as a gentle breeze caressed her cheek. The Jedi could feel her struggling to fight back tears. He was about to rest his hands on her shoulders, but she walked away before he could.

"That's what you say all the time," her voice cracked as she back away from her ghost. "And every time I believe you. You're not real. I can't take the heartache anymore. I can't believe you. I won't, not this time." Sara turned quickly and ran back inside. "DADDY!" she yelled, thinking that maybe he would make her hallucination go away. Jacen followed her inside and stopped at the door.

Luke was in her room in a heartbeat as if he was just waiting for his cue. "Sara, what is wrong?" He rushed over to her and grabbed her four arms.

"He won't leave me alone." Sara started to panic. "I can't make him go away."

"Sara."

"He won't go away." She grabbed her head with one hand and held on to her father with the other while her breath grew very short from the panic she was having.

"Sara!" he spoke louder to try and gain her attention.

"I'm not crazy, I'm not…" She shook her head desperately trying to convince him that she was not insane.

"Shhhh…" Luke cupped her face in his hands and touched his forehead with hers sending her a soothing feeling through the Force. "It's alright, Sara," he whispered softly so she would finally calm down, he slowly looked his daughter in the eye and spoke softly. "I see him too."


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:**

I know it's been a long time since I posted. To honest I haven't posted anything because I have had a little disagreement with my beta at my other posting site. She believes that this chapter makes my character too much like a Mary Sue, I also believe she had not read the story from the beginning. I don't hold anything agents her, she had taught me a lot, but I feel we should part ways. So unfortunately I am continuing one with out a beta. I want to apologize in advance for mistakes in spelling and grammar, I hope it doesn't turn you off in continuing to read this story. If anyone would like to take on the project to beta Chapters from now on just send me a message. I want to thank you for taking the time to read this story and going on this journey with me.

**Chapter 10**

"I see him too," Luke spoke softly as he looked into his daughter's eyes. The utter shock of her father telling that the young man she loved and lost was now home, made her eyes grow wide in disbelief. "He's home, Sara, it's really him this time."

Sara broke eye contact from her father and looked over her shoulder to where Jacen was standing just inside the doorway that led to her balcony. Still in shock, she walked slowly over to her loved one, still waiting for him to disappear the moment she blinked her eyes. Reaching out her hand to touch his face, her fingertips barely touched his stubble skin, and she suddenly threw her arms tightly around his neck. In return, Jacen wrapped his arms around her pulling her in tightly breathing in her sent. "I'm home, babe, I'm home," he whispered to her. Overwhelmed by relief and happiness Sara's body started to shake as she started sobbing away all the grief that was with her for so long. They just stood there together, not paying any attention to anything around them; they didn't even notice when Luke left the room. They just let time pass without another word being said, holding each other tightly.

At one point, Han poked his head threw the door. "I hate to interrupt, but Sara, can I borrow Jacen? There are some people who would really like to see him."

Jacen pulled Sara from him so he could look her in the eyes. "Are you going to be okay?" The teary-eyed girl shook her head yes. He looked at her with pure love in his eyes as he reached out to wipe a tear from her face. "Are you going to come out with me?"

"I'll be out there in a minute," she whispered.

"Okay." Jacen kissed her on the forehead and left with his father. Sara felt like she was in a dream as she watched the man she loved and missed terribly walk out of the bedroom.

After freshening up a bit, Sara emerged from her bedroom for the first time since Jacen had disappeared and was surprised to see the room filled with people cheerfully chatting amongst themselves. When she spotted her father leaning against the counter watching everyone, she walked over to him and stood next to him, resting against the counter in the same fashion. He put his arm around her and gave her a loving smiled as Obi-Wan ran over to his mother. She picked him up and sat him on the counter facing everyone in the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist. The three of them stood and watched everyone, waiting for their turn to talk to Jacen.

When Jacen was giving his long time friend Tenel Ka a hug, he locked eyes with Sara, who was staring at him. She thought that he had grown more handsome than she remembered; either that or she just missed him that much. The handsome Jedi smiled and winked at her, causing her to blush and smile back like a silly schoolgirl, and then he went back to what he was doing. Later, when Jacen was talking to Danni Queen, Han came over to her and whispered in her ear, "I need your help. Jaina is not responding to any of my calls. I think she will listen if she sees you. Will you come with me?"

"Yeah," she answered his question. The girl handed her son over to her father and closely followed Han out the apartment.

***

Han and Sara arrived at the docking bay, where Jaina was talking to Jag and Kyp about a flight simulation they just had. When Sara got out of the speeder, Jaina was surprised to see the girl walking towards her. Jaina stopped the conversation she was having mid sentence and walked over to young women walking towards her and she was followed by her two companions. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because you are not answering your comlink," she told her.

"I have been busy," she answered immediately. Fearing the worst, Jaina knew something happened, and she didn't want to face it, she just wanted to block out real life and get caught up in her work.

"Jaina it's not what you think. He's home." She paused and the two girls just stared at each other for a moment. "Would I be here is he wasn't?" she added softly.

"Why don't I feel him?"

"I don't know, Jaina. Maybe you've put up a shield that is been blocking your brother from reaching you. You've been so caught up in fighting that you have closed yourself off."

The girl was right; she was blocking him from her because it hurt too much knowing that he was not there. The Jedi closed her eyes and focused on the twin bond she had with her brother, and there he was, just as he always had been, comforting her. She opened her eyes and looked into Jag's, who was standing next to her. "I think we better go home," she spoke, dazed at the flood of relief, joy, shock mixed together from her sensing that brother was there.

Jaina and Jag hurried over to the speeder where Han sat waiting for them in the speeder. However, Kyp didn't follow them, he stayed behind and Sara looked at him with kind eyes. "You're not coming?" Sara asked him.

"No, I have some things I have to do. Besides, it would be kind of awkward."

"Can we meet sometime?" Her question took Kyp and herself by surprise, but it was time she told him what he deserved to know.

"I would like that." Kyp smiled as he gazed at her. Just when Sara was about to turn and leave, Kyp stopped her with his words. "I'm happy for you, Sara."

The young woman paused for a moment then turned back and walked over to Kyp. "Thank you," she whispered as she gave him a quick little impromptu hug. Kyp let her pull away from him and watched her walk over and climb into the speeder and leave with the rest of the group. He missed the time he spent with her when they were both young and now came his chance to mend their friendship.

As speeder full of people arrived back at the apartment, Jaina busted threw the door and as soon as she spotted her twin brother she ran over to him, almost tackling him to the ground as she threw her arms around him. Sara laughed to herself as she saw such happiness from the two siblings being reunited. She was so happy to see her loved one home and again she couldn't take her eyes from him as she watched Jaina introduced Jag to her brother.

***

Later that night, everyone who had come to visit Jacen had left and had gone home for the night. Han and Leia had gone to bed along with Luke, Mara and Ben. The only ones left were Jaina, who had fallen asleep on Jag's shoulder while they sat on one side of the couch, and Jacen and Sara on the other side of the couch with Obi-Wan, who had also fast asleep on Jacen's chest. The group that was left awake watched the news feed on the Holo-net.

After a story about a Kiffar family clan that had been torn apart after they were forced to evacuate from Coruscant and were now looking for each other, Sara got up and turned off the Holo-net. The young mother started to pick up her son but was stopped by Jacen. "I can put him to bed," he insisted. Sara smiled as she watched Jacen get off the couch without waking the sleeping boy and take Obi-Wan to his room.

Jag swiftly picked up Jaina in his arms and carried her to her room. All Sara could think of doing was starting to clean up. Jag was not gone long before he came out of the bedroom and started helping Sara tidy up the room by picking up a pillow on the floor and set it on the sofa. "I'm glad you are feeling better," he said, bending down to picking up an empty glass from the table.

"Thank you," she smiled as she replied, then nervously walked up closer to him and spoke softly. "Jag, have you told Jaina about…" she pointed her finger at him and herself while she referred to the little indiscretion they had years ago.

The pilot took a deep breath and Sara saw his shoulders relax a bit. "No," he sighed.

"Oh," she thought carefully. There was so much going through her head at the moment, she regretted bring up the topic. They went back to tidying up the living room in silence, until Sara could think of something else to say. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"My ship." They chuckled as they both remembered a time long ago when Jag would spend the night in his ship just so he could make sure Sara would make it home safely after working at the bar on Tatooine.

"Why don't you stay here? You could stay on the couch," she tried to convince him.

"I don't know," he hesitated.

"I bet Jaina would love to see your still here when she gets up," she added, knowing full well that her words would get him to stay.

"Okay," Jag smiled as he agreed.

"Great, I'll get a blanket for you." The young women left the room.

***

In Obi-Wan's room, Jacen set the boy in his bed and tucked him under the covers. As he leaned in and kissed him on the forehead the sleeping boy cracked open his eyes. "Jacen," Obi-Wan said sleepily.

"Yeah, squirt?" Jacen whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed in the dim room.

"Can I call you 'Daddy? '"

This question filled Jacen with so much joy it almost brought tears to the young man's eyes as it melted his heart. "Yeah, but there is one condition. I can call you my son." Jacen smiled.

"Agreed," Obi-Wan smiled and Jacen ruffled the boy's hair and bent down and kissed him on the forehead again, then got up to leave. "I love you, Daddy," Obi-Wan said as he turned on to his side to get into a more comfortable sleeping position.

Jacen stopped at the door and looked back at the boy. "I love you too, my son." Jacen flipped off the lights and quietly slipped out of the room.

***

Jacen found Sara in her bedroom, looking at a holo picture that usually sat on the night stand next to the bed of Obi-Wan, Jacen and herself taken when her and her son still lived on Tatooine. Jacen came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her warm body, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "He asked me if he could call me 'dad.'" He stared at the picture with her.

"He has always considered you his father." She smiled at the handsome face that was so close to her. "He loves you so much."

"Will you tell me who his real father is?" Jacen asked softly as he analyzed the young boys face in the picture. His dark hair and his brown eyes were so estranged but his smile was very much like Sara's.

"I will." She paused and took a deep breath in as she had been dreading the day this question would be asked. "I'll tell you later. Why should we put a damper on such a joyous moment?" She diverted his question.

Jacen took the holo out of Sara's hands and lightly tossed it on the bed and turned his love to face him as he flashed the famous Solo grin that took Sara's breath away as she couldn't take her eyes from him. "There is something that I've wanted to do since I saw you."

"What's that?" She blushed, feeling her heart pound in anticipation of what he was going to do.

Jacen slowly leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips, slowly deepening the kiss as he pulled her in close to him, not letting her escape his grasp. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and combed her fingers through his hair as his kiss awakened all her senses she thought died when he didn't return. Together, they gave into their passion for one another.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sara was back to herself now that Obi-Wan and Jacen were home, close to her where she knew they were safe. The young woman was walking home from dropping Artoo off at her father's X-wing while Luke was spending the evening with Obi-Wan. As she walked home from the spaceport, some security guards were chasing some kids down the skyway. She watched them run around the corner and out of sight when she ran into someone in front of her.

"Oh I'm sorry, I-" she paused after she saw who she ran into. It was Kyp. "Hi," surprised to see him.

"Hi," he smiled back at her. "How are you doing?" She sensed that he was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

"I'm doing better," she answered, unsure how to react at seeing him.

"Are you headed home?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah," she answered hesitantly.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked awkwardly.

Sara didn't want to say yes but she couldn't bring herself to say no. "Sure."

They walked down the hall in silence. "So how are you doing?" Kyp asked again, trying to ease the awkwardness between them.

"Good," she said, "very good."

"Do you still sing?" he tried to make friendly conversation as they walked.

"Yes and no. I sang when we lived on Tatooine, but not since-"

"We?" Kyp interrupted with a smirk on his face. "You lived with another guy on Tatooine?"

Sara turned bright red at his question. She wasn't ready to tell him about her son yet, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "Yeah," she stuttered nervously. "Obi-Wan, his name is Obi-Wan," she added quickly and she left it at that, letting Kyp think whatever he wanted. There was more awkward silence as they continued to walk to Sara's apartment. When they arrived Kyp looked at Sara.

"Do you still want to meet with me some time?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes." She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him as she played nervously with the ring that Jacen had given her.

"When?"

"Soon," she answered quickly. "There is something that I do need to tell you, but I still need more time."

"Fair enough," Kyp nodded "You let me know." As Kyp walked away, Sara let out a sigh of relief. The young women walked inside her family's apartment, relived that this encounter was over.

She wandered slowly over to her bedroom to find Jaina was sitting at her piano. She was paging threw Sara's journal that was sitting on the bench to her sound synthesizer. "Is there anything I can help you find?" Sara asked her softly.

"Sara," Jaina closed the journal quickly surprised to see the owner in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been snooping."

"It's okay." Sara smirked at surprising a Jedi like that. "I wouldn't leave it out if I didn't want anyone to read it." Sara walked over to the sound synthesizer and sat on the bench next to Jaina. "Is there anything you want me to play for you?"

"Yes, there is." Jaina got up from the bench so the performer could have some room to play. "I heard you sing this song when Jacen was missing and you were…" she really did know what to call Sara's condition at the time. "It was really pretty, like a lullaby, but sad."

"You heard that?" Sara asked shyly, knowing exactly what song she was talking about.

"Yeah, it was really pretty. I couldn't listen to the whole thing with Anakin dead and Jacen missing, it hurt too much. But I think I'm ready to hear it now that one of my brothers is back."

Sara placed her fingers on the keys of the sound synthesizer and gently started to push individual keys to make the lullaby come alive and slowing she started singing.

_I'm so tired of being here _

_Suppressed by all of my childish fears _

_And if you have to leave _

_I wish that you would just leave _

_Because your presence still lingers here _

_And it won't leave me alone _

Jaina closed her eyes, remembering the horrifying day she'd lost both her brothers. Losing them had driven a nail through her heart and she wondered if she would ever be whole again.

_These wounds won't seem to heal _

_This pain is just too real _

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Jaina couldn't remember a day that her twin brother wasn't there in her life, right beside her. Learning together, fighting together, and living life together. He was always there. As she stood next to Sara, the Jedi could feel tears slowly creeping into her eyes.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears _

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears _

_And I've held your hand through all of these years _

_But you still hate all of me_

As Sara preformed, she noticed Jacen walk in to the bedroom slowly looking for his twin sister. The young man stood next to his twin and put his arm around her. Jaina wrapped her arms around his waist as tears started flowing down her cheeks. The two of them just stood there, listening to the rest of the song. Sara smiled at the one she loved when she remembered a kiss he had stolen once when her son was not looking, reminding her of a time when she didn't have to worry about the troubles around them, and their love was still so new and alluring.

_You used to captivate me _

_By your resonating light _

_But now I'm bound by the life you left behind _

_Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams _

_Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me _

The singer turned back to the keyboard, not wanting to look at Jacen as she sang about how he'd haunted her when he was missing.

_These wounds won't seem to heal _

_This pain is just too real _

_There's just too much that time cannot erase _

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears _

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears _

_And I've held your hand through all of these years _

_But you still have all of me _

Sara's words struck a chord in Jaina. She clung on to her brother tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. Jacen just held his twin sister, trying to comfort her as she let go of her emotion.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone _

_And though you're still with me _

_I've been alone all along _

Sara slowly finished playing her song, and turned and looked at Jaina and Jacen as they stood there watching her. Jaina finally let go of her brother as Sara stood up from the bench she sat on. The two girls hugged. "Thank you, Sara. It's just so pretty and yet so sad," Jaina spoke as she wiped her tears away.

"Jag is here; he wants to see you," Jacen remembered why he came in to the bedroom, giving her one last hug, and Jaina turned to leave the room.

"That was really good, Sara." He sat on the bench, taking Sara's hand softly and lightly pulled her on to his lap.

"But you don't like it," she assumed, feeling his uneasiness.

"No, I do like it." He searched for the right words to say. "It's just that I hate that I put you through that." He kissed her softly on the cheek as he pulled her closer to him. "I never want to hurt you like that or see you hurt."

"I missed you so much." She rested her head on his shoulder. Jacen kissed her on the forehead.

Jacen thought back to his captivity under the Yuuzhan Vong and his wanderings on Coruscant. "When I was on Coruscant, I could only think of you and Obi-Wan. When it hurt so much I thought I would die, I thought of you both. They asked me why I hung on for so long and why I would fight so hard." Jacen could see tears form in her eyes, and they were forming in his too. "I told them, "love is why I hang on." The handsome Jedi paused for a minute. "There was this crazy man who put this image in my head of you…" he could barely say the word, "dead." Sara didn't need to see the image to know that it truly scared him. "I can't get it out of my head. I can't get his voice out of my head." He looked at her sincerely. "I promised myself that I won't let anything happen to you or Obi-Wan. I will protect you."

Sara put her hand on his stubbled cheek, feeling the warmth that he radiated. She had never imagined loving someone so much as did right now. The young woman suddenly pulled him quickly to her until his lips were entangled with hers.

***

Jag watched Jaina emerge from the bedroom and noticed that her eyes were a bit puffy. "Is everything okay?" He spoke softly while looking at her with concern as she walked up to him.

Jaina smile at him brightly through her sad composure. "Yeah, I'm fine," she greeted him with a warm hug. "Sara just played a really sad song for me," she explained. "I thought we were meeting at the base." She wondered why the handsome pilot had made his unexpected visit.

"I know." He looked at her and felt his nerve start to shake and stomach start to knot up, but on the outside maintained his composure. "I thought we could walk together."

The female Jedi blushed at the thoughtful gesture. "Okay, I'll get my stuff."

He watched her leave the room, then hung his head in disappointment with himself. Since Sara had suggested that he tell Jaina about the time they had shared together when he was in the Academy, the pilot couldn't stop thinking about it. He was scared of the way she would react when she found out that his heart had been broken; it scared him more than facing a thousand Vong ships by himself. He was scared he would lose her.

Jaina walked back into the room carrying her bag, and together they walked to the military base. As they walked down the unpopulated sky tunnels the young Jedi could feel the anticipation in her companion. "What's going?" she asked Jag.

Jag waited until a pedestrian walked pass them before he answered. "Nothing serious."

"Come on, Jag, there has to be something going on if you wanted to walk me to the base," she prodded as they slowly approached the base entrance. Jaina was having a hard time reading her fellow pilot; his posture was very formal but he spoke hesitantly.

"Well, there is something I want to tell you." Jag paused again to let another passerby walk past them. "I just don't know where to begin."

"How about from the beginning," she teased.

Jag rolled his eyes trying not to lose his focus from the joke. "Well, you remember when we were talking about my brother and I mentioned the girl I was trying to help?"

"Yeah, you didn't say much about her." The couple walked into the base security door.

"I saw her awhile ago." Jag paused, waiting for Jaina's reaction as he built up the nerve to tell her the identity of the girl who had broken his heart when he was young, but the nerve was lost when he saw the third member of their team heading their way, and he knew he had to end the conversation now.

He turned to face Jaina. "I really like you," he spoke quickly before Kyp came too close. "I don't want to lose you like I lost her."

Jaina smiled and turned pink from the assurance that Jag would always be by her side. "Really?" The young pilot wanted to throw her arms around him and give a big kiss, but knew that it was not appropriate in public.

"Yeah," he smiled back at her as he hid his disappointment in himself.

"Hey, Jaina, hey, Jag. You two ready to hit the skies?" Kyp walked up to the couple.

"You bet," Jaina answered as she watched Jag turn away from her. The three headed to their individual ships to scout out the area around Ebaq 9.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jacen poked his head into his uncle's office. "Uncle Luke, do you have a minute?" he asked as he entered the Jedi master's office.

"Yeah, come on in Jacen," Luke answered as he continued looking at the data pad he was reading at his desk.

"What are you working on?" he asked his uncle as he sat in the chair in front of him.

"I'm just going over some details for tonight, seeing what is going to be the best way to recruit pilots to join the war efforts." Sara had come up an idea to recruit people by holding a rally at a local Cantina. She also volunteered to be the entertainment, singing her songs like she did at the Cantina on Tatooine.

"Have you heard her sing before?"

"No, not performing, but I would catch her singing to herself when she was a child growing up," Luke smiled as he remembered Sara as a little girl. "I think I'm more nervous about tonight then she is right now." The two men laughed as Luke continued flipping through screens on his data pad.

"She has a beautiful voice," Jacen reassured him as he waited for Luke to finish his work.

"What did you want to talk about Jacen?" Luke finally put the data pad he was reading down on the desk. He put the pen in his hand behind his ear and gave the young man his full attention.

Jacen waited until he had his uncle ready before he said anything. "It's about Sara, and her past. I can't seem to bring up the topic to her. Every time I try to ask her about Obi-Wan's father, she somehow manages to change the subject or avoids it somehow like she knows what I'm going to ask.

"I'm sorry Jacen, I don't know who Obi-Wan's father is," Luke had a solemn almost sad look in his eyes. "There are a lot of things that are a mystery to even me about my own daughter, but I can tell you as much as I can."

"I was also wondering, why you sent her away?"

"I was trying to protect her," Luke thought for a moment. "You see, Sara is very unique. Ben Kenobi called her the key. As for the key to what I really don't know. Her Force ability is very different; her control is unlike yours or mine. The power she possesses I have never seen in a Jedi. I'm still trying to figure it out."

The crazy man that had saved him from the Yuuzhan Vong on Coruscant jumped into Jacen's mind. "So it's true, she is a key to some kind of power?"

Luke shook his head lightly. "I don't know Jacen. I just know there have been people who have died trying to get at her, and I have done everything I can trying to protect her."

"Dose she know that she is this key?"

"I don't think she dose. She knows she has this unique power and there are people would do anything to get it, but she doesn't know why she has it or know that Ben Kanobi has called her a key. Growing up she was plagued with nightmares about children getting slaughtered and secrete doors. I could never help in making them go away. So she might have some idea."

"Who did you send with Sara to live with her?" Jacen knew this would answer the mystery of who the father of Obi-Wan was, knowing that she had told him a piece of the puzzle when he had first met her on Tattooine.

"I sent her with Kyp Durron. They were best friends," the Jedi Master explained. "He would help me watch her when she was younger and he was just a student of mine. The days when I had to leave to go on missions and I would have to leave her behind, she would be begging and crying for me not to. Kyp would always be there tying to comfort her. He was so good with her. As she grew older, the crying would be come less and less and finally stopped. She even stopped having the nightmares that plagued her. I don't know what happened to their friendship.

"I had just gotten back from Chiss space with Mara, and I was planning on bringing her home. He showed up at my office panicked and said that she had run away. I went immediately to go find her but couldn't even sense her on Tattooine, it was like she left the system."

Hearing Luke's story was like a viroblade to the young Jedi's heart. It didn't sit well with Jacen that a man he already didn't like was the father of his son. The Jedi tried hard to control his feeling as the door opened to Luke's office and Sara came cheerfully in to the room and walked up to Jacen.

"Hi Sweetheart," she kissed the handsome young man on the cheek. "Hi Daddy," she walked over to him and also kissed him on the cheek. "How are you two doing today?"

"Good," Luke answered. He looked at Jacen and felt something brewing in his nephew. "Jacen?"

"I have to go find Jaina. Thank you Uncle Luke for clearing things up for me," Jacen left the office ignoring Sara, leaving father and daughter in wonderment.

"What's wrong with him?" Sara asked after he was gone as she sat on the arm of her father's chair.

"I don't know, must have been something I said."

"What did you guys talk about?" she draped an arm over his shoulders.

"You," he said casually as he rested his hand on her back.

"What!" Sara was shocked as she jumped up. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him why I sent you to live with Kyp on Tattooine," Luke was bewildered about why his daughter was upset about this.

"You didn't!" She scolded him as she rushed out of the room to go find Jacen. She found him in the kitchen. "Jacen," he turned away from her so she could not see the betrayal on his face. "I was going to tell you."

"Look Sara, I don't want to talk about it. You have to focus on tonight." He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder with out looking her in the eyes. "I don't want to distract you with my problems."

"But Jacen let me-"

"Sara! … no," Sara closed her eyes preparing herself for what was going to come next, but there was nothing. Jacen simply left the room silently leaving her alone in torment of unsettle business.

***

Kyp walked up to Jaina and Jag who were packing up their belongings at the spaceport after a long day of flight simulation training. "You two up for another go?" he asked as he wiped some oil off his forehead with an old rag.

"Can't," Jaina zipped up her bag. "We promised Sara that we would come support her for the recruiting event tonight."

"I'm going to go get the speeder," Jag picked up his bag and ran off.

"Really what kind of recruiting?" he asked the female pilot.

"She is going to be singing to attract people to the Cantina and then try and recruit them to help join the efforts against the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Sounds great," excited to hear that the young women was getting a chance to do something he knew she enjoyed.

"You should come. I hear she has an amazing voice."

"I would love to!" Kyp gave no hesitation. He would love to see her sing again because he never appreciated it before.

"Great!" She saw Jag pull up in the speeder. "We have to pick up my brother so we'll save you a seat," Jaina ran off and jumped in to the speeder.

***

Jacen sat in on the edge of his bed holding his head in his hands trying to sort out the different thoughts and feeling running through his head. He wondered why she had put so much work in to hiding the identity of Obi-Wan's father. Was she trying to protect someone? Who? Maybe Obi-Wan. What did the boy know of his true father, what kind of impression had Sara given him? Did Kyp even know he had a son? He was so much older then her. Is that why she was hiding it? He hated Kyp, he got to love her first. The pilot was cocky, and a show off, and now he was the one that had hurt Sara and made her runaway from all she knew. HE would never treat her like that.

Jacen pulled his head out of his hands and rested his chin on his knuckles and saw the musical interment that she would fiddle with from time to time. He could always tell what kind of mood she was in by the tone of sound coming from the machine, but now it sat silent. He wished he could play out all the jealousy and anger he felt on sound synthesizer like she did, maybe he would feel better, however he had no clue how she turned her feelings into music.

The Jedi slowly came to his feet and walked over to the interment and sat on the bench where he saw a data tablet sitting resting on the top of the sound synthesizer. He picked it up and activated the devise and the screen lit up to where its owner had last left it. The young man took a deep breath and slowly started reading the words written by the girl he loved.

_Let's talk this over_

_It's not like we're dead_

_Was it something I did? _

_Was it something You said?_

_Don't leave me hanging _

_In a city so dead _

_Held up so high _

_On such a breakable thread _

Jacen pulled his eyes away from the data pad for a second. This was her journal. He was reading into her personal thoughts invading her privacy and he couldn't stop reading.

_You were all the things I thought I knew And I thought we could be _

_You were everything, everything that I wanted_

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it _

_And all the memories, so close to me, just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending_

_So much for my happy ending_

The young man wondered when she wrote this. Who was this song about? It sounded like a relationship that was already dead, there for it had to be about Kyp. Sara's words didn't comfort the young man as be felt the anger for the rouge Jedi burn hotter.

_You've got your dumb friends_

_I know what they say_

_They tell you I'm difficult_

_But so are they_

_But they don't know me _

_Do they even know you? _

_All the things you hide from me_

_All the stuff that you do_

_You were all the things I thought I Knew _

_And I thought we could be _

_It's nice to know you were there _

_Thanks for asking like you cared _

_And making me feel like I was the only one_

_It's nice to know we had it all_

_Thanks for watching as I fall_

_And letting me know we were done_

As he continued to read more he started to wonder if she still felt these things. He wanted to protect her, but how was he supposed do that when the damage had already been done?

The troubled Jedi was taken from his thoughts as the door slid open and his twin sister cheerfully popped her head in the room. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he gave her a small smile to hide his built up emotion as he set the journal back where he found it.

"Everything okay?" she asked as she felt her brother pull away from her in the Force.

The Jedi ran his fingers through his hair and stood up from the bench. "It will be fine," he spoke softly and added to himself 'I hope.'

"Well, let's get going, other wise we are going to be late," she gave him a comforting smile and the twins left the apartment and headed for the Cantina for the night's event.

***

Jaina, Jag and Jacen made there way to the front of the Cantina in the middle of Mon Calamari and found a table near the stage so Sara could see they were there to support her. The small place was pretty full already, making it a great turn out for recruiting. The twins saw their parents at a side chatting with some friend as the three of them got their beverages and waited until show time.

Jacen sat in silence sulking, while he listened to Jaina and Jag make friendly banter when a man took the open seat across the table from him. The Jedi did everything he could to hold his composer as Kyp greeted them as he joined the group. With only a glance Kyp felt the younger man's eyes cut him in two and he tried to avoid looking him in the eyes as he figured Sara must have told Jacen about their past relationship.

Time was getting late, it was ten minutes past the scheduled start time for Sara. Jaina jumped out of her chair and decided to see what was going on with the singer.

She found Sara backstage of a Cantina. She was pacing back and forth, the look on Jacen's face stuck in her head. Jaina walked up to the performer where she getting ready to perform a few of her songs, so much was happening tonight, it would be the first time that her father would hear her sing, there was also someone out there that Sara was not expecting. Jaina stretched out her arms to the nervous girl to stopping her from pacing.

"Are you alright?" she asked Sara.

"No. Jacen's mad at me, dad has never seen me perform. What if he hates the songs? Plus _He's_ out there," she vented.

"Who?" Jaina smiled in relief realizing that it was nothing serious.

"Obi-Wan's father," she started to bite her thumb nail nervously.

Jaina was speechless not really seeing the big deal until a bell went of in her head when she realized that she didn't even know who Obi-Wan was.

"And Jacen," Sara continued. "Together, in the same room."

"Oh," was the only thing Jaina could get out of her mouth.

"I haven't told Jacen who he is yet, and he figured it out on his own!" She stared Jaina in the eyes foreseeing a disaster ahead. "I-I can't do this," Sara panicked and tried to leave the room "I'm not ready for them to here these songs."

"Then why did you right them?" Jaina grabbed her arm to stop the performers escape.

This forced Sara to take a deep breath and calm down and really made her think. Sara was speechless. _Why did she write these songs?_ Sara stared at Jaina. The only thing that could come to mind was Jacen. "What about Jacen, What is he going to think?"

"He loves you; he's not going to care. Besides if he dose, he is just being stupid guy, you leave him to me." Jaina said as the upbeat sound rumbled though the speakers as the music started. "Now you have to go, it's time to start."

"Jaina, wait!" Sara tried to stall, but the female Jedi pushed her on stage before she could protest.

***

Jaina joined her comrades back at the table and took a sip of her drink and saw that the singer was having a hard time gathering her wits about. Jag leaned over to her. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah," she watched her brother who was slouched in his chair watching Sara intensely. "She's just nervous," and leaned over to Jacen and whispered. "What happened with you two?"

"It's nothing," he whispered harshly back at his sister giving her the impression to drop the subject and she went back to watching the young performer who by now had left all the fears she had behind and emerged herself into the songs making them come alive.

With each word Sara sang she had gotten more into the song. Jacen was starting to wonder if she was really feeling these things she was singing about making his jealousy grow, clouding his sense of truth and the Jedi couldn't tell what was real anymore and what was an act.

In one of her songs Jacen recognized the words she was singing, the same words he had read earlier and it didn't help his mood at all. The Jedi noticed that the girl he loved had locked her focus on Kyp, singing her words to him. He could hardly sit still anymore as he sat strait up in his chair and he glanced over at the guy he loathed and saw a smirk on the man's face as he remembered the times he spent with the girl.

As Jaina watched the show she could feel the anger radiating off her brother. She was surprised to feel such a strong emotion coming from him. The reached over and rested her hand on his arm, but the twin got out of his chair and stormed out of the room. Jaina jumped out of her chair and followed him out in to the street.

As the music faded, Sara saw Jacen lave the Cantina followed closely by his sister. The singer new something was wrong, she could also feel the anger radiating of the man she loved. The music faded completely and a roar from the audience broke out but she didn't notice it as she ran off the stage to the back door that led to the ally and ran to the front of the building where Jacen and Jaina were headed. Around the corner she could hear Jaina and Jacen fighting about her. She stopped a ways behind Jaina and watched the twins argue.

"Jacen will you hold on a minuet," Jaina yelled.

"Jaina this is none of your business," he yelled back at his sister.

"Will you talk to me or let her explain?" Jaina tried to reason with her angry brother.

"Jaina!" he turned to face his sister, noticing Sara watching them with worry on her face. "Leave me alone."

Jaina had never seen her brother like this. "But Jace…" She tried one more time, but her father, Han interrupted.

"Jaina let me handle this," Han took Jacen by the shoulder and walked away from Jaina and Sara. Jaina turned and looked at the worried young women. Both of them were helpless to do anything.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Jacen followed his father in to a dank dark tapcafe on the other side of Mon Cal, involuntary checking his lightsaber and his father blaster at the front desk. As the young man looked around, his eyes were met with stares from all kinds of species checking out the competition giving him looks of resentment and warnings, making him feel like he did not belong here. However that was not what eat at the Jedi's heart. Jealousy was what bothered him, jealousy of a man that he didn't even like.

He watched his father take a seat in a small booth in the back corner and joined him sitting in the seat across the table. A Purple Twi'lek walked up to the table and budged her way in to the seat next to Jacen as she scooted him in to the corner. She batted her eyes at him and gave him the sweetest smile. "Hi Handsome," she flirted with the young Jedi. "Can I get you a drink?" Her voice was so sweet, so seductive Jacen found himself a little speechless.

"I'll have Corellian Ale," Han leaned on the table closer to the Twi'lek waitress to get her attention off of Jacen. "And a Pazaak deck." The waitress got up out of the seat and nodded towards the older gentle man and turned to leave.

Before she took one stride from the table Jacen found his voice. "I'll have a whiskey."

The waitress turned on a heal and bent down and leaned her elbows on the table and with an engaging smile, "What kind would you like?"

The young man didn't know what kind of whiskey to get. He had never ordered it before, but the type of drink sounded good a moment ago. "I-I'll have…uh…Johrian," was the first thing he could think of as the nervous Jedi fumbled over his words. Jacen glanced at Han who had raised an eyebrow from his son ordering such a strong drink and he felt a little embarrassed for being naive.

The waitress just gave Jacen an amusing smile knowing full well the kid had no idea what he was ordering. "Sure thing," the purple Twi'lek walked away with her high heals clicking on the floor.

"Why did you bring me hear, dad?" he looked at the older man curiously.

"You looked like you could use a bit of a cool down."

Jacen slouched in his chair, resting his arms on the edge of the table and stared to twirl a small spice shaker in the air using his Force ability. "I don't want to talk about it," he continued feeling sorry for himself.

His father frowned at him. "Who said anything about talking? We are just having a few drinks and a friendly game."

Jacen was relived he set aside the spice shaker he was twirling, he should have known full well that Han Solo was not the 'talk it out' type of person. "Since when did you play Pazaak?" he asked father about the ancient game as they waited for their drinks to arrive. "I thought your game was Sabaac?"

"It is," the waitress dropped a deck of cards on the table and Han picked them up and started to shuffle them. "When I want to win money," he started to deal out the cards. "Besides this game doesn't take a lot of effort, lets the brain just relax."

The Jedi smiled understanding what his father was getting at, it was exactly what he needed, to think about as little as possible.

Father and son played Pazaak for hours while their waitress just kept filling up their cups with their choice of beverage. The effects of the alcohol turned their game in to a very intense match. Jacen stared down his opponent as he waited for him to make his next move. Han analyzed his cards, occasionally glancing up into his son's burning eyes then looked down at the cards Jacen had played on his last turn, a two and a nine for a total of twelve. He looked at his own card sitting in front of him, a ten. Han picked up a card sitting in his hand and slowly laid down a nine making his total nineteen. He was confident that his younger opponent could not get his cards to total 20 by the end of his next turn and Han would win the match.

Han smiled in triumph as he saw the disappointment in his son's eyes. "Look Son," Han slurred his words. "You can't win all the games, it'z just the way the cardz are delt."

Jacen frowned his brow at his drunken father. "Will you pleaz let me play my cardz?" he laid down a yellow card with the letter "D" on it. A double card that turned his nine into an eighteen, putting his total hand at twenty. "I win!" the young man declared then busted out in a drunkenly laughter as he saw the disappointment in his father's face. "That's five games in a row old man, you want to take on this young blood again?" he gloated to his father.

"Nah, kid I'm tired of lozing," Han threw down the last of his cards on the table and gulped down the last of his ale and got out of his seat. "We should be getting home."

Jacen held up his finger indicating his father to wait for him as he picked up his own mug and gulped down the sharp taste of Johrian whiskey. The Young man did not realize how drunk he was until he stood up and the room started to spin. He grabbed on to his father's arm to steady himself, but the older man was thrown off balance and father and son went crashing into a nearby table, spilling the drinks on the occupants of the table and slammed in to the floor.

Jacen was pulled to his feet by the collar of the jump suit he was wearing and found himself in the grasp of a burly Mandalorian man twice the size of him. "Are you going to pay for that, Jedi?"

Jacen didn't know what to say to the Mandalorian, he was sill waiting for the room to stop spinning.

"It wasn't his fault," Han struggled to his feet using the broken table to help him to his feet.

The burly man pushed the boy in his hands into another group of patrons at the tapcafe. He turned to Han and slapped both hands on his black vest and balled up his fist taking hold of the fabric then jerked the drunken man in close so that there noses were almost touching. "And who's fault is it big shot?"

Before Han could answer his question a fist plowed in to the Mandalorian's face from one of the patrons he had pushed Jacen into. In seconds the whole place was in an out right brawl. Han jumped over and trough the crowd throwing a punch here and there making his way to the other side of the room to find his son.

Jacen got to his feet and watched the riot play out in front of him, chairs flew across the room, glass shattered on peoples heads, fist flying left and right. A Roadian knocked into Jacen shoulder then turned and punched him in the stomach and moved on to his next victim, leaving the young Jedi Knight bent down on the floor holding his stomach feeling very queasy.

A firm hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "Come on kid, we got to leave!" Han looked into his pale faced son. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," Jacen put his hand to his mouth and Han pulled him to a side exit into the empty street where his inebriated son lent over a near by trash can letting out the ball of sickness grew in his stomach. Jacen stood up a little disoriented but feeling a lot better then earlier and headed back inside the establishment.

"Where are you going?" Han stopped his son at the door.

"I'm getting my lightsaber back." He brushed his father's hand off his arm and marched back inside and slammed into the chest plate of the Mandalorian who started the brawl. He backed up from the bigger man gave him a nervous smile then ducked as the guy tried to grab for the Jedi with both arms. Jacen scooted across the floor under stomping feet and turned over tables to get away from the Mandalorian. Even with all his Jedi skills he knew he could not take the guy on in a fight being intoxicated, his only choice was to stay away from him.

Jacen jumped up off the floor in time to see Han jump on the back of the Mando and tried to put him in a head lock. With guy distracted, Jacen wove his way through the brawl to the weapon check desk near the main entrance. Upon reaching the desk the Jedi propelled himself over the desk and came down in a crouch behind it and next to the scrawny man who ran the desk.

The clerk looked at Jacen wide-eyed scared of what the Jedi would do to him. Jacen poked his head above the edge of the desk and watched the fighting and quickly ducked as a glass mug came sailing his way smashing into the cage of weapons behind him. The young man looked at the clerk next to him, "I need my lightsaber back."

The frighten man shook his head "No, do you know what kind of casualties that would cause if I open that gate?"

"Do you know how many casualtiez I will cauze if I don't get my lightsaber back?" he shot back at the clerk. Then he waved a hand and commanded with the Force. "You will open the gate."

The clerk nodded his head and fumbled for his keys. The keys shacking in his hand, the clerk slowly unlocked the gate that kept the weapons locked up safe while patrons enjoyed there drinks. The clerk grabbed the lightsaber off the shelf and handed it to the Jedi.

"I'm also going to need my father'z blaster," Jacen add while he hooked the hilt on his belt. The clerk looked at him and reluctantly gabbed the blaster and handed it to the young man. "Thanks," Jacen added as he swung himself back over the desk in to the riot and looked for his father.

Han punched the Mando in the face sending him to the ground unconscious as his son took hold of his arm and pulled him towards the exit. "Come on, now it's time to go!" the two ran for the exit, making a brake for it before the Mandalorian came too. As they got out side Jacen tossed Han his blaster and the older man placed it in his holster. Father and son ran down the dark empty street leaving the chaos at the tapcafe behind.


End file.
